If you have ever wanted to know more about your oboe cane and its past, here is an overview of how it grows, its history, and how it is harvested for reeds.
What is cane?
Cane for reeds is from the Arundo Donax which is considered a grass plant and is not at all related to bamaboo depite its similarities in appearance. There are four species of Arundo, but the Donax is the only variety that reeds are made from. The plant grows with a hard exterior and a soft pitch inside that breaks down early in the plant’s life and leaves it hollow (7). Its roots are bulbous rhizomes that grow horizontally and can be meters long (3). These rhizomes are how the plant usually spreads and even a piece broken off the main root system could be washed down a river and take root somewhere else. Arundo Donax is also very invasive and easily displaces other plants and can become a nusisance towering anywhere from nine to thirty feet tall (1). They can grow as much as four inches a day and can produce twenty-five tons on one acre twice a year.
Where does it come from?
Arundo Donax grows the best in alkaline soil (which is often very sandy soil), in arid weather conditions, and by water (7). It does not tolerate temperatures below freezing, but it is best for the cane if temperatures do reach 30-40 degrees Farhenheit at night (2). It is indigenous to the Mediterranean where it has these conditions, but it can tolerate many soils and weather types which is why the plant is now found all over the world. Southeastern France, Texas, and California, however, are the places where most of the cane for instruments is grown because the conditions are ideal (3). Good cane is also produced in Spain, Turkey, China, Argentina, and Mexico (5). In California, there is a problem with how quickly Arundo Donax grows and spreads wild because of how easily root bits can be washed downstream and grow again on a new bank. The plant also burns and spreads fire quickly which adds to California’s wildfire problems (1).
What is the history of this plant?
There is evidence that Arundo Donax was used for musical instruments as much as 5000 years ago. Egyptians used its leaves to wrap mummies and the stalks as part of a the structure for a storage system. There is also some speculation that Donax grew in South Asia before it was brought to the Mediterranean (3). It was brought to California in the 19th century (4).
Does it have other uses?
Donax provides no nutritional value for wildlife (1). It has been used for paper pulp, basket weaving, fences, shelters, roofing, erosion control, arrows, fishing rods, and several other uses. The rhyzomes have even been used for medical purposes (3). Arundo Donax was brought to California from England primarily for roofing and erosion control (1).
How is it harvested for oboe reeds?
While there seems to be some variations in how cane is harvested for oboe reeds, there is a basic process. Cane is only harvested in its second year of growth usually around mid-December to March. Sometimes its from pantations and sometimes harvested from the wild (6). The closer Donax is to the water the bigger it will grow, which means that cane for oboe reeds is generally grown farther from a shoreline so that it has less water and is better wuited for our smaller reeds. It is even considered best for the cane to blow in the wind frequently while it grows for optimal oboe cane. Many harvest at the new moon so that the pitch is at its peak and the plant will not dry out too quickly. The cane should dry quickly enough that it does not mold but slowly enough that the cane does not warp (2). Sometimes, the cane is then dried still with the leaves on for two years, then chopped up and set in the sun so that the heat can draw out the wax and give it its golden color. Other times, cane is ripened and made golden before it is even harvested (6). This part of the process seems to have the most variations. In France, they often stack the cane in a teepee shape to dry with unusable pieces on top to protect the cane from weather (2). The younger cane is, the softer it will be, and the longer is cures, the harder it will get (6).
Now when you make or play a reed, you might have a better appreciation for where it came from! Is there anything about this cane plant that surprised you?
(Handmade oboe reeds available here!)
Sources
- About Arundo Donax from PlantRight.org
- A blog post on harvesting cane from the Arundo Research Company
- About Arundo Donax from CABI.org
- About Arundo Donax from the University of California Center for Invasive Species Project
- About Arundo Donax from a cane supplier, CapitolCane.com
- From Capitol Cane again on how cane is harvested
- A great thesis and overview of Donax and its culitvation by Marsha Taylor for the California Institue of the Arts
2 thoughts on “Where Oboe Cane Comes From”