Team Arundo vs. the Arundo Weed
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Joseph E. Smith
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Don, thanks for the article! 
The scenario is the same in Florida. Vanishing are the valuable breaks of good cane for UPs and other reeded instruments. Project Arundo may not be as virulent here as it is in CA, but it is alive and well in FL and it is something I have encountered more than once in my quest for good reed cane.
Sloshing through swamp is only part of the quest, dealing fairly with terrain and the highly defensive fauna that claim it as their own is but another.
Actually harvesting decent loads of the right stuff and then returning to your vehicle in good health, with good cane, is quite another story altogether. And if you are physically handicapped, like me, it is a hearty work out... and always one that leaves me in unbelieveably solid pain and useless for a few days. I have a degenerative spine condition that is bound to leave me non-ambulatory in a few years, so every moment I can spend in the "bush" is highly cherished, taken full advantage of and savoured to its limit.
... maybe that is too much info....
The scenario is the same in Florida. Vanishing are the valuable breaks of good cane for UPs and other reeded instruments. Project Arundo may not be as virulent here as it is in CA, but it is alive and well in FL and it is something I have encountered more than once in my quest for good reed cane.
Sloshing through swamp is only part of the quest, dealing fairly with terrain and the highly defensive fauna that claim it as their own is but another.
Actually harvesting decent loads of the right stuff and then returning to your vehicle in good health, with good cane, is quite another story altogether. And if you are physically handicapped, like me, it is a hearty work out... and always one that leaves me in unbelieveably solid pain and useless for a few days. I have a degenerative spine condition that is bound to leave me non-ambulatory in a few years, so every moment I can spend in the "bush" is highly cherished, taken full advantage of and savoured to its limit.
... maybe that is too much info....
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tansy
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Great article. I was just foiled for a second time. I was waiting for late winter so i could cut "standing dead", and when I went to check on it, someone had leveled the whole patch 
Same thing happened at another stand a couple of years ago.
Seems like a lot of the natives don't appreciate this sacred weed.
I find it heard to find large enough diameter cane,here in alabama.
Same thing happened at another stand a couple of years ago.Seems like a lot of the natives don't appreciate this sacred weed.
I find it heard to find large enough diameter cane,here in alabama.
shy the blond water
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sean an piobaire
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tansy
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Hi Sean, I am not sure about the Mobile area but I would bet money that it's true.
I live in the nawth of Al and it is quite plentifull. As you well know, once you know what it looks like, it's very easy to spot. Today I'm off to harvest elderberry twigs for droan reeds.
Happy Hunting, Tansy
I live in the nawth of Al and it is quite plentifull. As you well know, once you know what it looks like, it's very easy to spot. Today I'm off to harvest elderberry twigs for droan reeds.
Happy Hunting, Tansy
shy the blond water
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Joseph E. Smith
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sean an piobaire
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Yes, Mister Smith!!
Indeed, this particular grass goes by several differen names, with or without "arundo" in front of PHRAGMITES, and "comunus" on the end, which has now been supplanted by (choose a continent) "australis". It just depends on what "out of date" botanical book you happen to see, and quote from, and also the efforts of various botanists, to further refine and standardize, their descriptive terminology.
I even commited the sin of substituting an "F" in place of the "Ph", which is the transliteration of the Greek sound and letter "Pysche" (that trident shaped letter in the Alpha and Omega string of characters). Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.....! Sean Folsom
PS. Good Hunting to you Mr. Tansy ! Are you any relation to the famous Sligo flute player, or is your "nomme d'herb" ? Tansy is almost always a Meade (honey wine) additive , in the same way that HOPS is always in BEER, No? (not the ancient Summerian beer recipe, though) S.F.
Indeed, this particular grass goes by several differen names, with or without "arundo" in front of PHRAGMITES, and "comunus" on the end, which has now been supplanted by (choose a continent) "australis". It just depends on what "out of date" botanical book you happen to see, and quote from, and also the efforts of various botanists, to further refine and standardize, their descriptive terminology.
I even commited the sin of substituting an "F" in place of the "Ph", which is the transliteration of the Greek sound and letter "Pysche" (that trident shaped letter in the Alpha and Omega string of characters). Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.....! Sean Folsom
PS. Good Hunting to you Mr. Tansy ! Are you any relation to the famous Sligo flute player, or is your "nomme d'herb" ? Tansy is almost always a Meade (honey wine) additive , in the same way that HOPS is always in BEER, No? (not the ancient Summerian beer recipe, though) S.F.
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Joseph E. Smith
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Not to worry, it'll only cost you the Taylor/or whomever set. Thank you very, very much.sean an piobaire wrote:
I even commited the sin of substituting an "F" in place of the "Ph", which is the transliteration of the Greek sound and letter "Pysche" (that trident shaped letter in the Alpha and Omega string of characters). Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.....! Sean Folsom
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BzzzzT
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I don't blame people for wanting to control arundo. It is really nice to be able to go out and harvest it.
Arundo grows quite nicely here in Arizona. There is rock hard stuff up north that is great for drone reeds. The arundo down south appears to have the same consistency as CA cane. Overall the cane down south is much softer I would say. I think this is because it gets more rain in the summer from the monsoons. I do agree with Joe. Harvesting arundo can be dangerous depending on where you live. I have had seven or so encounters with rattle snakes by water. If you don't stay TOTALLY alert and take all necessary precautions at all times, then you are very likely to get bit if you harvest when it is warm. I was once harvesting some drone reeds in the winter when it was cold to avoid my venomous friends. It was the rainy season and I drove down a canyon type area by a dam where there is a rough recreation area. I parked on a higher elevation and walked down to the water. The area was not blocked off and no warning signs were posted to the recreation area. I walked to the river on the sand banks to get some cane. I was busy harvesting cane when I heard a car horn honking. People normally are messing around down there so I did not think anything of it. I kept hearing the car horn so I looked up at the cliff to see are truck honking. I did not think anything of it and I made the mistake of not looking in front of me. Little did I realize that they had opened the spill gates to the dam and the water was rising around me. I imagine the dam guy was going why wont that dumb son of a b***h get out of there. So now I hear a truck driving at crazy speed down the canyon while I am totally blissfully focused on harvesting cane. Once the guy is down farther he yells "they opened the ****ing dam!". I look and there is now rushing water around me. I look down at my pile of precious cane and say goodbye. There is now lots of running water around me. I grabbled the biggest cane shoot I had harvested and tested the water with it to see what the current was like. The current seemed bearable but the water was to the middle of my torso just off my little island. I made a jump to try to get over the deep part where I thought there would be some current and I managed to swim/wade to shore. Lesson if harvesting cane in the summer be careful and don't harvest when there is precipitation.
- Jason
Arundo grows quite nicely here in Arizona. There is rock hard stuff up north that is great for drone reeds. The arundo down south appears to have the same consistency as CA cane. Overall the cane down south is much softer I would say. I think this is because it gets more rain in the summer from the monsoons. I do agree with Joe. Harvesting arundo can be dangerous depending on where you live. I have had seven or so encounters with rattle snakes by water. If you don't stay TOTALLY alert and take all necessary precautions at all times, then you are very likely to get bit if you harvest when it is warm. I was once harvesting some drone reeds in the winter when it was cold to avoid my venomous friends. It was the rainy season and I drove down a canyon type area by a dam where there is a rough recreation area. I parked on a higher elevation and walked down to the water. The area was not blocked off and no warning signs were posted to the recreation area. I walked to the river on the sand banks to get some cane. I was busy harvesting cane when I heard a car horn honking. People normally are messing around down there so I did not think anything of it. I kept hearing the car horn so I looked up at the cliff to see are truck honking. I did not think anything of it and I made the mistake of not looking in front of me. Little did I realize that they had opened the spill gates to the dam and the water was rising around me. I imagine the dam guy was going why wont that dumb son of a b***h get out of there. So now I hear a truck driving at crazy speed down the canyon while I am totally blissfully focused on harvesting cane. Once the guy is down farther he yells "they opened the ****ing dam!". I look and there is now rushing water around me. I look down at my pile of precious cane and say goodbye. There is now lots of running water around me. I grabbled the biggest cane shoot I had harvested and tested the water with it to see what the current was like. The current seemed bearable but the water was to the middle of my torso just off my little island. I made a jump to try to get over the deep part where I thought there would be some current and I managed to swim/wade to shore. Lesson if harvesting cane in the summer be careful and don't harvest when there is precipitation.
- Jason
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sean an piobaire
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No ! No ! Mr. Smith !
I started doing penance for my mis-spelling, by intoning a mantra of
[: "Johnny Doran>Leo Rowsome >Seamus Ennis>Willie Clancy>Tommy Reck>Liam Walsh>Andy Conroy>Sean Reid>Patrick J. Touhey" :] for one hour solid........if you repeat this perfectly, at least 3 times, in under 1 minute, it will make chanter reeds jump the octave EVERY TIME you reach for it !
Pedanticaly...... Yours........
Sean Folsom
PS Great Story Jason Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I started doing penance for my mis-spelling, by intoning a mantra of
[: "Johnny Doran>Leo Rowsome >Seamus Ennis>Willie Clancy>Tommy Reck>Liam Walsh>Andy Conroy>Sean Reid>Patrick J. Touhey" :] for one hour solid........if you repeat this perfectly, at least 3 times, in under 1 minute, it will make chanter reeds jump the octave EVERY TIME you reach for it !
Pedanticaly...... Yours........
Sean Folsom
PS Great Story Jason Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt !!!!!!!!!!!!!!