Arundo donax L.
Giant reed (Arundo donax) is a long-lived, perennial grass that is native to Eurasia, Europe and North Africa. It was introduced to New Zealand as an ornamental plant and for erosion control and was first recorded in the wild (naturalised) in 1936. The plant grows from thick rhizomes and can reach up to about 6 metres tall. It has robust, hollow stems and broad, blue-green leaves that clasp the stem at the base. It flowers from February to April, producing large, feathery, purplish flower heads, which develop into seeds. It tolerates drought, flooding, wind and a wide range of soil types. It reproduces mainly vegetatively from rhizomes and stem fragments. Rhizomes and stem fragments are dispersed by water, soil movement, dumped garden waste and other human activities. Rhizome and stem fragments readily produce new plants.
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