black sugar cane

[wilsoni]

Hi All

I am in Australia (coastal frost-free Sydney) and I am interested in obtaining some Badila (black) sugarcane to complement my palms and ficus in my tropical garden.

I believe this was a topic on this site back in 2010 (Wal from Queenland)

If you are still on the forum Wal, I would appreciate some pointers.

I tried Palmland at Terry Hills and they can't confirm what they have (didn't know genus or species) so I would rather not go that route (weediness etc) I believe if i get a cultivated variety like Badilla it would be easier to control.

Thanks in anticipation

Ian

[_Keith]

If he doesn't respond, check with Wal. As I recall he posted on this.

[Walter John]

Well I still have it growing, although it has lost a lot of it's vigour, I found these type of plants for sale at local markets from memory, nothing scientific about growing it.

[Tropicgardener]

Badila is one of the 'noble' sugarcanes that was brought in from PNG to the Queensland Sugar Industry back in 1896.......... It is generally a very short cane with very thick stems but despite this it is soft which is why it disappeared from the sugar industry when mechanical harvesting came in (harvesters smash its soft stems). I used to grow Badila (correct spelling is with one L) when I lived in the cane growing areas of Cairns and also in Bundaberg..............I haven't grown it for many years but I am sure that I will be able to get hold of some more of it. It is one of the better canes for the home garden due to its smaller size but doesn't tend to have as much cold tolerance as some of the more modern canes. There is a form of sugarcane that is totally black (including the leaves), this one is taller and thinner and IMO not as attractive as Badila.

Previously I had a few'Pioneer' canes, along with Badila I also had Trojan, Pinda and a couple of others.......they are hard to track down and up here there is always the quarantine restrictions as this is a sugar growing district.......... If I can get hold of some Badila I will let you know.

[QUINNPALMS]

I'd like to see a picture of this...

[Walter John]

I'd like to see a picture of this...

Here you go, this is mine as it looked a year or two ago I think..

[QUINNPALMS]

I'd like to see a picture of this...

Here you go, this is mine as it looked a year or two ago I think..

Way Kool! Thks for sharing! I would like to get 1.

[Neil C]

Here's a photo of the all dark one mentioned that I grow. It is quite ornamental but I think a bit on the skinny side to attempt to eat.

Regards Neil

[Tropicgardener]

Have you tried to chew that one Neil? Badila is good to eat because it is so soft........modern sugarcanes are much more fibrous so that the harvesters can cut them without smashing them to a pulp.

[Neil C]

The grower I bought it off said his kids like to eat it so I might give it a go. I've seen it sold as "Black Magic" but this could easily have been made up to enchance it's selling potential. Seems strange to develop a sugar cane variety that is so thin unless of course it is just as an ornamental. I also used to have a green sugar cane with a yellow stripe down the cane but it didn't do well in a pot so I ditched it. Aplogies Wal as this has gone well off topic.

Regards Neil

[aussiearoids]

some locally ..