Arundo donax 'Versicolor'
Arundo donax 'versicolor' is a evergreen plant that is very robust with his strong stems that reaches 2m high. It has bearing strap-shaped leaves that are striped with white and green colours. Feathery panicles of small, purplish flowers may appear in late autumn. It is best planted in a well drained moist soil in full sun.
About this plant
Giant reed Arundo
Giant reeds (Arundo) are tall perennial grasses from warm regions of the Old World. From strong creeping rhizomes they push up dense clumps of thick, jointed canes that look much like bamboo, set with broad, arching leaves. Gardeners grow them for the bold, almost tropical structure they give to large gardens.
Giant cane Arundo donax
Arundo donax is the giant reed of Mediterranean ditches and riverbanks, originally from Asia and naturalised in many warm regions. Its canes can exceed 6 m in mild climates; where frost cuts them back, they regrow to around 3 to 4 m in a season. The grey-green leaves resemble those of maize, and feathery plumes appear only after long, hot summers.
Location and soil
Plant in full sun in a warm, sheltered spot, in any soil that stays moist; it even copes with wet ground and short dry spells once settled. Young plants are sensitive to frost, while an established rootstock survives short frosts of around -12 °C, so in Belgium it counts as moderately hardy.
Pruning and care
Plant in April or May so the clump can establish before winter. Cut all old canes to the ground at the end of winter, from March to May, and protect the base with a thick mulch in cold spells. Disease is rarely a problem. In warm climates the plant spreads aggressively, so contain the rhizomes.
Use in the garden
Ideal as a tall screen or windbreak, as a backdrop at the rear of a large border, or at the edge of a pond or pool. Its canes have long been used for basket-making, roofing mats and the reeds of wind instruments, and it also helps to hold soil on banks.
Characteristics
Botanical
| Family | Poaceae |
| Genus | Arundo |
| Species | donax |
| Cultivar | 'Versicolor' |
Foliage
| Evergreen | no |
| Colour (foliage) | green, white, variegated |
Growth habit
| Height | 400 cm, 150 cm, 200 cm |
| Height | 400 cm, 150 cm, 200 cm |
Location
| Winter hardiness | -15 °C |
| Soil type | neutral |
| Location | sun |
| Soil moisture | moist |
Use
| Type (use) | grass, in group |