Plant Type

Perennial, Grass

 

Height Range

6-12', 12-25'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium, High

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Invasive

Design Styles

Japanese, Mediterranean, Tropical, Water Garden, Wetlands

 

Accenting Features

Specimen, Unusual Shape

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Screen, Wind Break, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

This may be the largest grass we can grow in our region (with the exception of yellow groove bamboo). Giant reed has a tall, upright, arching habit (10 to 18 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide), and the foliage grows 2 to 3 inches wide and up 18 to 24 inches long, clasping the hollow canelike stems. Canes sprout from dense, woody crowns. Flowers are fluffy panicles 15 to 30 inches tall, emerging in September. A soft green during the growing season, Giant reed turns beige with the first hard frost, though it's tough stems persist all winter long.

Grow in full sun to part shade in nearly any soil; withholding water is a great way to control its spread. Thickets can become quite dense; cut back to the ground in February or March to keep plant neat. Plants may not flower before the onset of winter. In some regions of the country, this plant has become invasive, but our freezing winters and dry summers makes this easier to control; though it might be best to avoid planting Giant Reed within riparian corridor areas. Canes are useful as garden stakes, fencing, and thatching roofs of garden structures.