River cane in midwest

[david w.]

I live in Sw Ill and there is this cane stuff that grows by me and i dont know what it is could it be river cane?  O ya i live in the north part of SW ILL (madison county)

[Pat B]

David,  I kinda doubt that it is river cane(Arundaneris sp) but it might be another type of cane you could use for arrows or atlatl darts or blowguns. Can you take pics of it growing and close up of the canes?    Pat

[Hillbilly]

The USDA distribution map shows river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) growing in 26 counties in southern Ill. Switch cane (A. tecta) doesn't make it quite that far north, but the gigantea makes good arrows, too. There are also some introduced, widely naturalized bamboos that grow throughout the country. Like Pat said, pics would be helpful to identify it.

[richpierce]

I found some kind of cane in the St. Louis, Missouri area where the diameter of the "hole" was huge.  Might work for blowguns or lipstick cases, but not arrows.

[Glenn R.]

David, I live just North of you in Macoupin County--as far as I know you have to get down around Shawnee National Forest before you start running into river cane, thats where I've gotten mine in the past. Do you have Hazel bushes growing in the woods close to you. It is more of an upland species, not often found in deep timber.  Glenn.