Rivercane in northeast?

[Staver]

Does anyone know if rivercane grows in the northeast... say around Connecticut?  I found something that looks like it, but it seems a little thin walled... maybe a reed.     

[Mike_A]

Hi Staver. I looked on the usda website and it didn't show Connecticut as having river cane. Here's the website http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navtype=SU&navid=AGRICULTURE that will take you to the plant search part. You can also look for plants by state if you would be interested in checking out what all you may have around you that you can use. Also keep in mind that someone could have brought in something and planted it that wouldn't normally be there. The cane scientific name is arundinaria and that will show you pretty much the entire north american cane family. Hope this helps. Mike

[Hillbilly]

Could be Phragmites reed.

[cowboy]

Hey Steve, do you have a picture of river cane? It may be around my area but I'm not sure what to look for........

[Mike_A]

Here ya go Paul. Hope this helps. Mike

http://www.geocities.com/archeryrob/Images/rivercane2.JPG
http://www.bambooheadquarters.com/store/images/full/arugig.jpg

[cowboy]

Thanks Mike! That looks just like the stuff that I've seen around here, little groves of it everywhere. I cut some bout a month ago and at the nodes the stalk seems to flip side's back and forth - does that sound right for river cane?

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[Beleg813]

That's what I need is some 6' foot long rivercane--pretty stuff. I'd love to make a Choctaw-style blow-gun out of one!!

Picture is great

[Pat B]

Paul, That doesn't look like river cane to me. If it works for arrows, it doesn't matter. There is probably river cane growing in TX but is the wetter areas in the north eastern parts.   Pat

[Mike_A]

No problem Paul. From the pics I can't tell for sure if it's river can or not. The culms looked a bit thin walled for Arundinaria, but I'm no expert. Maybe Bob or Jamie will chime in. There seems to be quite a bit of naturalized bamboo in the states so it may be a different type. I know TX has river and switch cane it's just finding it anymore. Best places are around the forgotten parts of rivers. Maybe when I get back to Tx we can get together and do a little knapping or bow building. I'm always trying to find other primitive guys. Have a good one. Mike

[cowboy]

Yeah, that's what I was thinkin Pat - don't know if I've ever laid eyes on rivercane or not, it doesn't look exactly like the Tonkin that Bob sent me either. The long areas between the nodes are flat to concave which flips back and forth as it goes from node to node, I'm makin some arras out of it anyway .

  Hey Mike, are you in the desert? Whenever you do get back we'll see if we can hook up - need to get all this huntin and holidays behind us first - busy, busy..

[Hillbilly]

Paul, that looks like some kind of Phyllostachys bamboo. There are several different ones that are naturalized, it's all over around here. It makes decent arrows, but not as good as rivercane, bambusa, or Jap arrow bamboo. Here is the USDA map for rivercane distribution in Tejas:





PS-I packed your box of rivercane up this morning, I'll put it in the mail Monday.

[jamie]

staver ive been told there is a cane in fairfield county along the merrit parkway areas. i try to avoid going to southern ct.  where are you located? there are also various types of bamboo that has escaped from landscapes. most of the growth we have is phragmites though. it makes an arra but very light and fragile. much better choices to be had. dogwood, hazel, lots of viburnum, blueberry and maple plus many maore.

[Pat B]

Here are a few pics of switch cane(Arundinaria tecta) that grows along our creek. I just took these pics a few minutes ago so they are a bit dark. If possible I'll try again tomorrow.  In the first pic the switch cane is mixed in a shady area with other plants. It has the lance shaped yellowish leaves. The next pic is part of my personal arrow cane patch. I should get about 50 canes from this patch this winter.    Pat

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[Hillbilly]

Pat, the little clump of switch cane I dug at your place a few months ago is still hangin' in there. It died back some, but it's still got a few leaves. That's some of the better cane at your place that I've seen anywhere.

[Staver]

Thanks for all the info out there.  I'm new to this site and it sure is cool to get great feedback from all you guys!   I think it is phragmites that I got and not cane, but I guess I'll just have to build from it and see what happens.