Fall has to be one of my favorite times of year out on Panther Island. People talk about the brilliant colors of the trees up north, but we have our own special colors down here! And one plant that always impresses me with its coloring is sugarcane plume grass (Saccharum giganteum). This lovely plant is commonly found growing in a variety of habitats including: marshes, wetter pine flatwoods, lakes shores, and more. I typically have this growing in wet prairies at Panther Island.
This native was once a dominant grassland plant throughout the southeastern United States; however as has happened in numerous places it has been extirpated in lots of areas since humans arrived here. There are approximately ten species of plume grasses in the United States. I am also happy to say that this plant is increasing and spreading on Panther Island as we manage to knock back invasives even farther on the restored land.
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