Phyllostachys aurea

Resembles golden bamboo, Phyllostachys aurea Carr. ex A.& C. Rivière, another large grasslike plant that is woody in character. Golden bamboo is a native of China and has been grown ornamentally in the U.S. It is invasive in parts of the country, including the Southeast, though not yet listed in Tennessee.

Phragmites australis

Closely resembles common reed, Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., which has similar large hairy seed heads, but not erect and fanned in a loose plume, and which occurs mainly near swamps, marshes, and wet habitats. Common reed is on the Alert list in Tennessee due to its invasive character in the eastern U.S. See its entry on this site for more information.

Landscape Alternatives

These native plants are suitable substitutes for Arundo donax in the landscape.

River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea) is a very tall (15 feet or more), bamboo grass that grows in moist to wet areas tolerating both flooding and drought.

Sugarcane Plumegrass (Saccharum giganteum) and Silver Plumegrass (Saccharum alopecuroidum) have showy pink to silvery flower/seed plumes reaching 7-9 feet tall. S. giganteum prefers moist to wet locations, and S. alopecuroidum likes drier sites.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grows 4 to 8 feet tall and has great fall color.

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is 4 to 7 feet tall with golden clusters of flowers/seeds in fall.