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Changes to Some Opening/Closing Dates for Services and Facilities – Check Back for Updates
Some of the opening/closing dates for facilities and visitor services in the parks have changed due to weather and/or other circumstances. See link for details and match to locations on the park map (under "Park Tools," bottom left, this page). More »
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Road Conditions (Entire Park) and Road Construction Delays (if Entering/Exiting Hwy. 198)
Expect 20-minute to 1-hour construction delays on main road through parks (Generals Hwy) until Memorial Day weekend (7 a.m.-6 p.m.). See link for schedule. Call for 24-hour road conditions info: 559-565-3341 (press 1, 1, 1). More »
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Vehicle Length Limits Have Changed in Sequoia NP (if Entering/Exiting Hwy 198)
Planning to see the "Big Trees" in Sequoia National Park? If you enter/exit via Hwy. 198, please pay close attention to new vehicle length advisories for your safety and the safety of others. More »
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You May Have Trouble Calling Us. Use the "Contact Us" Link (Bottom Left) to Send an E-mail.
We are experiencing technical problems receiving some incoming phone calls at the parks. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please keep trying to reach us or check this website for frequently-asked questions. The search box (top, right) may be helpful.
Giant Reed
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Giant reed (Arundo donax), also known as arundo, is an aggressive invader of riparian areas, ditches and other wet sites throughout California. It is not well established in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, but it is a species of special concern. Giant reed seems to have originated in Asia and has spread to southern Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and the Americas. It is considered to be well adapted to extreme fire events, and in fact it seems to promote fire. Arundo has the alarming tendency to displace nearly all native species from the areas which it invades. It is known to take over large portions of low-elevation stream beds and to form dense, very persistent thickets. 
Giant reed can grow up to eight meters (25 feet) in height. Photo by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College Identification Giant reed is a bamboo-like perennial grass that can grow up to eight meters (25 feet) in height. It has thick creeping rootstocks. The stems are hollow and can reach 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) in diameter. The flower clusters are plume-like, often purplish in color, and can reach 60 centimeters (2 feet) in height. Arundo turns mostly brown in the wintertime, and grows most vigorously in late spring and early summer. Aside from cultivated bamboo, there are no grasses in California that could be mistaken for giant reed. Natural History Giant reed requires a tremendous amount of water to persist. This, coupled with its ability to quickly dominate entire stream channels, makes arundo a particularly pernicious weed in the thirsty state of California. Little is known about arundo's reproductive ability in California. There are no observations of the plant sexually reproducing in this state; it appears to spread to new locations via fragments of stems and rootstocks, especially during flood events. Management There are a few small populations known to be in Sequoia National Park. All are in and around the Ash Mountain area. Natural Resource Management Personnel began eradication of this species in 2002. |
Did You Know?
Sequoia tree rings tell a fascinating story of survival and adaptation. Many sequoia cross-sections do not show a neat set of concentric growth rings. Among the rings are many scars — indicating repeated fire damage — and as many curved rings, the growth that eventually covered over the scars.