Generally considered to be a hydrophyte, Giant Reed achieves optimal growth when growing near water. However, it easily adapts to many ecological conditions and soil types and once established is quite drought tolerant and is capable of growing in fairly xeric conditions. It also tolerates saline conditions and can grow near the coast. Giant Reed is a C3 plant, yet displays the unsaturated photosynthetic potential of C4 plants, and is capable of extremely high photosynthetic rates. These characteristics in combination with relatively good water use efficiency result in Giant Reed being one of the most productive plant species in the world, growing up to 4-5 inches per day under optimal conditions.

Giant Reed is a potentially high yielding non-food crop that could meet market requirements for energy (biopower & biofuel), paper pulp production and construction of building materials. It has a biomass calorific mean value (i.e., the calorific value obtained from combustion of biomass sample in an adiabatic system) of about 17 MJ kg-1 dry matter & 8400 btu's per lb.

Giant Reed is a most cost effective crop. The grass species is very hardy and needs virtually no fertilizers, nor any other means of protecting the crop with herbicides during its growth. The grass's bamboo-like stems can grow to over 20 ft. Giant Reed is strongly rhizomatous which results in dense patches. Dry matter yields of up to 50 metric tonnes per hectare (22 tons per acre) have been recorded and 75 metric tonnes (33 tons per acre) in the tropical climate zones.

As a dedicated energy crop for closed-loop commercial operations 3000-6000 plantlets per acre should be planted. Mature stalks grow to an average height of twenty feet and an average diameter of one inch. At the end of the growing season, plants are harvested in a manner similar to sugar cane. Even after cutting, Giant Reed will continue to grow new plants each year from it rhizomes and does not have to be replanted.

Extraordinary annual growth and high cellulose content make Giant Reed an ideal crop for converting solar energy to bio-fuels or industrial fiber. Reeds may exceed twenty feet in height and the dense growth of Giant Reed tends to exclude other vegetation. These characteristics favor Giant Reed for commercial monoculture.

Giant Reed does not yield viable seed--it is sterile. We recommend buffer zones separating cane fields from lakes or rivers. Buffers inhibit down-stream proliferation of Giant Reed from floating dormant stems.

Giant Reed has attracted attention due to its multiple benefits such as phytoremediation, biomass production and landscape beautification. New discoveries include root zone enzymes of Giant Reed that decompose toxic residues from pesticides, refrigerants, and industrial solvents. Other dual use applications include Giant Reed fuel or fiber production on land that also requires remediation of mine slag runoff or odor reduction from swine effluent or poultry litter.