Sugar Cane

Sugar cane (formerly called reeds, and sometimes called papyrus or bamboo) is an item and an important crafting ingredient.

Obtaining
Sugar cane can be mined instantly with anything.

When the spot a sugar cane block is placed in becomes unsuitable, such as when the supporting block is removed, the sugar cane block will uproot and will drop as an item. Sugar cane will not immediately uproot when all adjacent water is removed, but will do so when it next receives a block update or random tick.

A sugar cane block will also be removed and drop itself as an item if a piston tries to push it (trying to pull it does nothing) or moves a block into its space.

Natural generation
Sugar cane can generate naturally near water, as two ($11/18$ chance), three ($5/18$ chance), or four ($2/18$ chance) blocks tall. Rarely taller sugar canes can be found if generation chooses to generate another on top of one already generated.

Farming


Sugar cane naturally grows to a height of three blocks, adding a block of height when the top sugar cane block has received 16 random ticks (i.e. on average every 18 minutes, but the actual rate can vary widely). Bone meal does not work on sugar cane to speed its growth, except in Pocket Edition. It does not need light to grow.

Usage
Sugar cane must be planted on a grass, dirt, sand, podzol, coarse dirt or red sand block that is directly adjacent to water or frosted ice (not merely above or diagonal to water), or on top of another sugar cane block. The adjacent water block can be covered with another block, whether opaque or transparent, and sugar cane will still be able to be placed and grow next to it.

Due to its water-displacing properties, sugar cane can interestingly be used to create underwater paths, allowing players to move at normal speed and breathe if it is two blocks in height. Water must be adjacent to the block the sugar cane is placed on.

Sugar cane takes on a different shade of green depending on the biome in which it is placed.

Data values
Sugar cane blocks use block data to determine its age. They also have block states, intended to replace block data in the future.

Trivia

 * In the code, sugar cane is still referenced as "reeds," both the inventory edited block and the item. It is also called reed in the F3 screen.
 * When a sugar cane is broken at the second level, the time resets. (For example, if a two-block high sugar cane is broken but is just about to grow to the third stage, it would reset that time)
 * In the Pocket Edition, you can use bone meal to help grow sugar cane. You cannot do this on PC.

Gallery
Zuckerrohr Caña de azúcar Canne à sucre Cukornád Canne da zucchero サトウキビ 사탕수수 Suikerriet Trzcina cukrowa pt-br:Canas-de-Açúcar Сахарный тростник 甘蔗