Saccharum ravennae
Synonyms: Erianthus ravennae (L.) P.Beauv and subspecies.
Common names: ravennagrass; hardy pampas grass; plume grass; canna di Ravenna
Saccharum ravennae (ravennagrass) is a large perennial grass (family Poaceae) found in the Sonoran Desert and Sacramento Valley of California. It is also found in a number of other states throughout the country. Ravennagrass is sold in the nursery trade as a hardier alternative to pampas grass, since it can grow in cooler climates. Ravennagrass grows in moist places such as marshes and riparian areas, establishing itself easily in disturbed areas. It is spreading rapidly along Cache Creek in the Sacramento Valley.
Cal-IPC Rating: Moderate — Alert?CDFA Rating: None?
Assessment(s)
Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
Weed Management Notes
No Weed RIC Management Notes are available for this species. Check for information on other species in the genus on the Weed RIC site.Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles
- CDFA expands noxious weed list and revises process. Kelch, Dean. Vol 23, Issue 2
- Ravennagrass: A major wildland weed along Cache Creek. Thomsen, Craig; Meyer, Tanya. Vol 15, Issue 3
- New weed alerts!. DiTomaso, Joe. Vol 13, Issue 4
- Weed alert!. Cal-IPC. Vol 03, Issue 3
Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations
Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.
- 2005 Cal-IPC weed alerts, new invasions, recent expansions, and a few others to be on the look-out for. DiTomaso, Joseph M. (2005)
- 2003 Cal-IPC red alert! New invasions, recent expansions, and a few others to be on the look-out For…. Tu, Mandy; Randall, John M. (2003)
Other Saccharum ravennae Information
- Bugwood - National database from the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.
- CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
- Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
- CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
- EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
- Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.