Season: Year-round. Planted by hand in the late summer. Does best in tropical climates.

Storage: Store in fridge with a plastic bag tightly wrapped around each stalk to prevent moisture loss. I recommend using a rubber band to tighten the plastic around the stalk. 

Other Names: ‘Badila’, Saccharum and Purple Sugar Cane

Native to the islands of Austronesia, Sugar Cane is one of the oldest documented commodities. Sugar Cane is a perennial crop. This means that it does not need to be replanted every year. Rather, the stalks are cut at the base, and regrow over time.

Sugar Cane has a long history that goes back 10,000 years. Medical documents, specific to Grece and Rome displayed medicinal use for sugar cane. These include cures for indigestion, stomach pain, and wound healing. Sugar Cane cultivation began in China, using Indian technology.  It was first brought to the Americas in the 15th century through Portuguese traders. The “first” Sugar Cane plant ever planted in America was a gift to Christopher Columbus from the Governor of the Canary Islands. Sugar Cane has a long history but is now grown in mass quantities throughout Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.