Family: Poaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Saccharum spontaneum (wild sugarcane) is native to a wide region spanning Sicily, Africa, and much of Asia through to northern and northeastern Australia. It is a vigorous, fast-growing perennial grass that can form dense stands, often along riverbanks, wetlands, roadsides, and disturbed sites. The plant produces tall, bamboo-like stems and extensive rhizomes that help it spread aggressively and stabilize soil. In some regions, it has been used for erosion control, as a source of biomass for fuel, in sugarcane breeding programs due to its genetic diversity, and occasionally as rough fodder or for thatching and other traditional uses.

Risks & Threats
In Hawaiʻi, wild sugarcane is naturalized on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu and possesses traits that are cause for concern, including rapid growth, high reproductive capacity, and the ability to spread through both seeds and rhizomes. These characteristics allow it to form dense monocultures that can outcompete and displace native vegetation, especially in riparian and wetland ecosystems. Once established, it can alter habitat structure, reduce biodiversity, and increase fire risk by producing large amounts of dry biomass. Because it is already naturalized, it could further detrimentally impact tropical island ecosystems if it continues to spread. Choosing low-risk or native alternatives is strongly recommended when available, and in areas where it is not yet widely established, limiting use and actively managing or preventing its spread can help reduce additional ecological impacts.

High Risk Traits:

• Broad climate & soil tolerance (tropical/subtropical, sea level to 1500m)
  
• Naturalized beyond native range (Hawaii, Mesoamerica)
  
• Serious agricultural weed (pasture, sugarcane, tea, rice, wheat, etc.)
  
• Host for sugarcane pests & diseases
  
• Creates fire hazard; resprouts after fire
  
• Forms dense, woody-blocking thickets
  
• Wind-dispersed seeds; prolific (>12,000 seeds/plant)
  
• Reproduces vegetatively (rhizomes) & sexually (viable seed)
  
• Self-compatible; hybridizes naturally
  
• Survives fire, cultivation, volcanic ash

Low Risk Traits:

• Not shade-tolerant
  
• No spines, thorns, or burrs
  
• Not parasitic, toxic, or allergenic
  
• Palatable to young grazing animals
  
• No evidence of water, bird, or animal-gut dispersal
  
• Controlled by herbicides (e.g., glyphosate)