You are bidding on about 40 PEPPERMINT STICK GIANT REED GRASS SEEDS - Arundo donax 'Peppermint Stick' .
See my regular green giant reed grass seeds which get even tall.
This forms sturdy 12' - 14' tall canes, adorned with wide green and white striped leaves that are up to two feet or more in length . In fall, the clumps are topped with 18" tall bronze-colored plumes .
Giant reed is adapted to a wide variety of ecological conditions, but is generally associated with riparian and wetland systems . It's fast-growing and drought-tolerant, producing tons of biomass per acre. It thrives even in poor soil and is a self-propagating perennial, so it requires little investment once established.
USDA Zone : 6 - 10
Medicinal use of Giant Reed: The root is diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient and galactofuge. An infusion is said to stimulate menstrual discharge and diminish milk flow. A paste of the root is applied to the forehead to treat headaches. Isolated alkaloids have been experimentally shown to raise the blood pressure and contract the intestine and uterus. The rhizome or root stock is used in the treatment of dropsy. Boiled in wine with honey, the root or rhizome has been used for treating cancer. The plant contains the alkaloid gramine. This is said to be a vasopressor, raising the blood pressure in dogs after small doses, causing a fall in larger doses. The stems have been used as splints for broken limbs.
Edible parts of Giant Reed: Rhizome - raw or cooked. The rhizome can be dried and ground into a powder to make bread, usually in conjunction with cereal flours. It can also be roasted or boiled. Leaves - cooked as a potherb. They are very bitter. The young shoots are used.
Other uses : Brooms are made from the terminal panicles. Plants are grown alongside irrigation canals to check soil erosion. The plant can be grown as a windbreak screen. If cut down, the culms branch and in this form the plants can be used as a hedge. The leaves can be woven into mats etc, whilst the split and flattened stems are used to make screens, walls of houses etc. A yellow dye is obtained from the pollen. The stems of the plant have a multitude of applications. They are used as plant supports for vines and other climbing plants and to make clarinets, bag-pipes etc. They are also used as pipe stems, for roofing, to make screens, walking sticks and in basketry. They are used to make the reeds of clarinets and organ pipes.
Known hazards of Arundo donax: None known