Plant Guide with Characteristics, Classification, and other detailed information

Plant Guide

Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. ssp. tecta (Walt.) McClure
switchcane
ARGIT8

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Subshrub, Shrub, Graminoid
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Spring and Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate	Rapid
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	Medium
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	No
Fire Resistant	Yes
Flower Color	Green
Flower Conspicuous	No
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Porous
Foliage Texture	Coarse
Fruit/Seed Color	Brown
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	No
Growth Form	Rhizomatous
Growth Rate	Rapid
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)
Height, Mature (feet)	25
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Moderate
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	No
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	No
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	Low
CaCO3 Tolerance	None
Cold Stratification Required	No
Drought Tolerance	Low
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	High
Frost Free Days, Minimum	250
Hedge Tolerance	Low
Moisture Use	High
pH, Minimum	4.5
pH, Maximum	7
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	3700
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	7200
Precipitation, Minimum	45
Precipitation, Maximum	60
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	12
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-3

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Summer
Commercial Availability	No Known Source
Fruit/Seed Abundance	Low
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	No
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	Yes
Propagated by Corm	Yes
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	No
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound
Seed Spread Rate	Slow
Seedling Vigor	Low
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	Rapid

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	None
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	Yes
Palatable Browse Animal	High
Palatable Graze Animal	High
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Medium
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Liliopsida -- Monocotyledons

Subclass Commelinidae

Order Cyperales

Family Poaceae -- Grass family

Genus Arundinaria Michx. -- cane P

Species Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. -- giant cane P

Subspecies Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. ssp. tecta (Walt.) McClure -- switchcane P

Alternate Names

giant cane, mutton grass, Arundinaria tecta

Uses

Switch cane is a good forage plant and is grazed by all livestock. It is grazed mostly in the summer months in the northern part of range and is highly valued as winter forage in the southern Coastal Plain and along the Gulf of Mexico. The robust rhizomes of switch cane bind the soil and protect it from erosion. In southern Mississippi, switch cane is called mutton grass, because of its value as sheep forage.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.

Description

Grass Family (Poaceae). Switch cane is a native, warm‑season, robust, rhizomatous and woody perennial grass. The height is between 4 and 10 feet. The leaf blade is lance‑shaped; the underside is usually hairy. The leaf sheath is commonly as long as internodes; ring of short, stiff hair across collar. The stem is round, hollow, and woody. The rhizomes in the air canals in the periphery

continue through nodes. The inflorescence is a raceme produced on top of leafless or nearly leafless stems.

Distribution: For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Management

The leaves along the stem are within easy reach of most livestock. They sometimes "ride down" large plants to get the terminal leaves. Removing more than 50 percent of green leaves weakens the plant. This is particularly true in August when plant food reserves are lowest.

Establishment

Switch cane grows all year if conditions are favorable. The leaves are produced from buds at nodes along the stems and it produces seedheads in early fall. It reproduces primarily from rhizomes. Air canals in the rhizomes may help the grass plant adapt to waterlogged soils or frequently flooded sites. It grows in pure stands on most sites and grows best in swampy woods and sandy flood plains.

Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

Please contact your local NRCS Field Office.

Reference

Leithead, H.L., L.L. Yarlett, & T.N. Shiflett. 1976. 100 native forage grasses in 11 southern states. USDA SCS Agriculture Handbook No. 389, Washington, DC.

Prepared By & Species Coordinator:

Percy Magee, USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Edited: 13may02 ahv; jul03 ahv; 20sep05 jsp; 070116 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture