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Sugar cane is a block found as 1–4-block-tall. It plants near water in the Overworld. As an item, it is 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 uproots and drops as an item. In Bedrock Edition, sugar cane uproots immediately after all adjacent water is removed. In Java Edition, sugar cane uproots on the next block update or random tick.

A sugar cane block drops 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 Canez

Naturally-occurring sugar cane near a river.

Sugar cane can generate naturally near water and ice, as two (1118 chance), three (518 chance), or four (218 chance) blocks tall. Rare taller sugar canes can be found if the world generator places two smaller canes on top of each other. It generates in approximately 0.8 sugar cane per chunk seeing as how they only generate near bodies of water.

Sugar canes attempt to generate 10 times in any Overworld biome, which requires water. An extra 10 attempts are made in swamp biomes, and 50 in desert biomes, which makes sugar cane twice as frequent in swamps and six times as frequent in desert biomes, making the banks of rivers that cut through deserts lined with sugar canes. Sugar canes do not grow faster in swamps or deserts they only spawn a increased amount.

Sugar cane cannot generate in caves in Java Edition.[1]

Trading[]

Wandering traders can sell sugar cane for an emerald.

Usage[]

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.‌[Java Edition only][2]

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

Crafting ingredient[]

Name Ingredients Crafting recipe
Paper Sugar Cane
Sugar Sugar Cane

Farming[]

Underground Sugar Farm

An underground sugar cane farm.

Sugar cane can generate naturally up to any number of blocks tall, but grow only to a height of three blocks, adding a block of height when the top sugar cane block has received 16 random block ticks (i.e. on average every 18 minutes on Java Edition or 54 minutes on Bedrock Edition, but the actual rate can vary widely). Sugar cane must be planted on a grass block, dirt, coarse dirt, rooted dirt, podzol, mycelium, sand, red sand, suspicious sand, moss block, or mud that is directly adjacent to water, waterlogged block, 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 can still be placed and grow next to it. Sugar cane grows regardless of light level, even in complete darkness.

4blockcane

A natural 4-block-high sugar cane plant.

In Bedrock Edition, bone meal can be used to instantly grow sugar cane to three blocks. Only one bone meal is consumed. In Java Edition, bone meal cannot be used on sugar cane.[3]

On average, it takes 18 minutes for a single block of sugar cane to grow 3 blocks tall.

Composting[]

Placing sugar cane into a composter has a 50% chance of raising the compost level by 1.

List of colors[]

This article is missing information about Bedrock Edition colors (see Water#Color[verify]). 
Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page.

Java Edition[]

These values are generated by the biome dyeing algorithm. See Biome colors for more information.

Biome Category Rainfall Sugarcane Color Temperature Affects Render
Badlands Mesa No #90814d No Badlands Sugar Cane
Beach Beach Rain #91bd59 Plains Sugar Cane
Birch Forest Forest Rain #88bb67 Birch Forest Sugar Cane
Cold Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Dark Forest Forest Rain #507a32 Dark Forest Sugar Cane
Deep Cold Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Deep Frozen Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Deep Lukewarm Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Deep Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Desert Desert No #bfb755 Desert Sugar Cane
End Barrens The End No #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
End Highlands The End No #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
End Midlands The End No #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Eroded Badlands Mesa No #90814d No Badlands Sugar Cane
Flower Forest Forest Rain #79c05a Forest Sugar Cane
Forest Forest Rain #79c05a Forest Sugar Cane
Frozen Ocean Ocean Snow #80b497 Snowy Plains Sugar Cane
Frozen River River Snow #80b497 Snowy Plains Sugar Cane
Old Growth Spruce Taiga Taiga Rain #86b783 Taiga Sugar Cane
Old Growth Pine Taiga Taiga Rain #86b87f Old Growth Pine Taiga Sugar Cane
Ice Spikes Icy Snow #80b497 Snowy Plains Sugar Cane
Jungle Jungle Rain #59c93c Jungle Sugar Cane
Sparse Jungle Jungle Rain #64c73f Sparse Jungle Sugar Cane
Lukewarm Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Windswept Hills Extreme Hills Rain #8ab689 Windswept Hills Sugar Cane
Mushroom Fields Mushroom Rain #55c93f Mushroom Fields Sugar Cane
Nether Nether No #bfb755 Desert Sugar Cane
Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Plains Plains Rain #91bd59 Plains Sugar Cane
River River Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Savanna Savanna No #bfb755 Desert Sugar Cane
Savanna Plateau Savanna No #bfb755 Desert Sugar Cane
Windswept Savanna Savanna No #bfb755 Desert Sugar Cane
Small End Islands The End No #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Snowy Beach Beach Snow #83b593 Snowy Beach Sugar Cane
Snowy Taiga Taiga Snow #80b497 Snowy Plains Sugar Cane
Snowy Plains Icy Snow #80b497 Snowy Plains Sugar Cane
Stony Shore None Rain #8ab689 Windswept Hills Sugar Cane
Sunflower Plains Plains Rain #91bd59 Plains Sugar Cane
Swamp Swamp Rain #6A7039 If temperature below -0.1, used #4C763C. Swamp Sugar Cane / Swamp Sugar Cane (Cold)
Taiga Taiga Rain #86b783 Taiga Sugar Cane
Old Growth Birch Forest Forest Rain #88bb67 Birch Forest Sugar Cane
The End The End No #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
The Void None No #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Warm Ocean Ocean Rain #8eb971 Ocean Sugar Cane
Wooded Badlands Mesa No #90814d No Badlands Sugar Cane
Windswept Forest Extreme Hills Rain #8ab689 Windswept Hills Sugar Cane

Bedrock Edition[]

This section of the article is empty. 
You can help by adding to it.

Sounds[]

Java Edition:

SoundSubtitlesSourceDescriptionResource locationTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
Block brokenBlocksOnce the block has brokenblock.grass.breaksubtitles.block.generic.break1.00.816
Block placedBlocksWhen the block is placedblock.grass.placesubtitles.block.generic.place1.00.816
Block breakingBlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenblock.grass.hitsubtitles.block.generic.hit0.250.516
None[sound 1]Entity-DependentFalling on the block with fall damageblock.grass.fallNone[sound 1]0.50.7516
FootstepsEntity-DependentWalking on the blockblock.grass.stepsubtitles.block.generic.footsteps0.151.016
  1. a b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

SoundSourceDescriptionResource locationVolumePitch
BlocksOnce the block has brokendig.grass0.70.8-1.0
BlocksWhen the block is placeddig.grass0.80.8-1.0
BlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenhit.grass0.30.5
PlayersFalling on the block with fall damagefall.grass0.41.0
PlayersWalking on the blockstep.grass0.31.0
PlayersJumping from the blockjump.grass0.111.0
PlayersFalling on the block without fall damageland.grass0.211.0

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

NameIdentifierFormTranslation key
Sugar Canesugar_caneBlock & Itemblock.minecraft.sugar_cane

Bedrock Edition:

Sugar CaneIdentifierAlias ID Numeric ID FormItem ID[i 1]Translation key
BlockreedsNone83Block & Ungiveable Item[i 2]item.reedstile.reeds.name
Itemsugar_canereeds385Itemitem.reeds.name
  1. ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
  2. Unavailable with /give command

Block states[]

See also: Block states

Java Edition:

Name Default value Allowed values Description
age00
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
A freshly planted cane – and a cane that has just grown cane above it – each have an age of 0.
The age is incremented at random intervals.
At age 15, a cane may try to grow more cane above it.

Bedrock Edition:

NameMetadata Bits Default value Allowed valuesValues for
Metadata Bits
Description
age0x1
0x2
0x4
0x8
00
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
A freshly planted cane – and a cane that has just grown cane above it – each have an age of 0.
The age is incremented at random intervals.
At age 15, a cane may try to grow more cane above it.

Video[]

Note: This video was made before sugar cane had a different shade of green depending on the biome.

History[]

Missing Model JE3
This page would benefit from the addition of more images. 
Please remove this notice once you've added suitable images to the article.
The specific instructions are: Appearance when affected by MC-48831
Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.11Sugar Cane JE1 BE1 Sugar Cane (item) JE1 BE1 Added reeds in the Seecret Friday Update 6.
Reeds are informally referred to as "bamboo" or "papyrus" by many players.
Since reeds can be washed away with water currents or instantly destroyed by removing the water adjacent to them, automated reed farms can be made.
Reeds can be used to craft paper.
Java Edition Beta
1.2Notch has retconned reeds into sugar cane so that it can now be crafted into sugar, included in the recipe for the cakes.
1.6Test Build 3Arrows no longer stick to sugar cane, and instead, they pass through. However, snowballs still come into contact with any sugar cane blocks, as if they are solid.
1.8Pre-releaseSugar cane can now grow and be placed onto sand as long as they are adjacent to water. This update allows sugar canes to appear next to water ponds in desert biomes.
Sugar cane is now available in the creative inventory in both block and item forms.
Java Edition
1.0.0?The sugar cane block has been removed from the creative inventory.
1.7.213w36aSugar Cane JE2 BE2 Sugar cane is now tinted depending on the biome it's in.
The item texture remained unchanged, however, and still used the color palette from Alpha to 1.6.4.[4]
1.915w43aSugar cane no longer breaks if its adjacent water is turned to frosted ice.
1.1317w47aThe ID of sugar cane has now been changed from reeds to sugar_cane.
"Sugar Canes" have now been renamed to "Sugar Cane".
Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 83, and the item's 338.
1.1418w43aSugar Cane (item) JE2 BE2 The texture of the sugar cane item has been changed.
19w03aPlacing sugar cane into a composter has a 20% chance of raising the compost level by 1.
19w05aSugar cane now has a 50% chance of increasing the compost level in a composter by 1.
Added wandering traders, which sell sugar cane.
1.1620w13aSugar cane has been moved from the Miscellaneous tab to the Decoration Blocks tab in the Creative inventory.[5]
1.1721w11aSugar Cane (item) JE3 The texture of the sugar cane item has been changed, so that it actually matches the color it uses when placed again.[4]
Pre-release 1Sugar cane now generates in mushroom fields.[6]
1.1922w15aSugar cane can now be planted on mud.
1.2023w14aSugar cane can now be planted on suspicious sand.
Pocket Edition Alpha
Pre-releaseSugar Cane JE1 BE1 Sugar Cane (item) JE1 BE1 Added sugar cane.
v0.2.0Despite being visible in the inventory, sugar cane does not drop anything when mined, making it unobtainable in Survival mode.
v0.2.1Survival players now start with an infinite stack of sugar cane in the inventory.
v0.3.0Sugar cane now drops its item form when mined.
Survival players no longer start with an infinite stack of sugar cane in the inventory.
v0.5.0Sugar cane can now be grown on sand.
Sugar cane can now be obtained after activating the nether reactor.
v0.8.0build 5Bone meal can now grow sugar cane to maximum height.
v0.9.0build 1Sugar Cane JE2 BE2 The color of sugar cane now changes depending on the biome they are in.
Using bone meal on sugar cane is no longer able to break blocks above it.
v0.12.1build 1Sugar cane is no longer available from the nether reactor.
Pocket Edition
1.0.0alpha 0.17.0.1Sugar Cane JE1 BE1 Due to a bug, sugar canes no longer change color depending on the biome.
Bedrock Edition
1.2.13beta 1.2.13.5Sugar Cane JE2 BE2 The color of sugar canes now changes depending on the biome, once again.
1.10.0beta 1.10.0.3Sugar Cane (item) JE2 BE2 The texture of the sugar cane item has been changed.
Sugar cane can now be bought from wandering traders.
1.11.0beta 1.11.0.1Sugar canes can now be used to fill up composters.
1.17.0beta 1.17.0.50Sugar Cane (item) JE3 The texture of the sugar cane item has been changed, so that it actually matches the color it uses when placed again.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1CU1 1.0 Patch 11.0.1Sugar Cane JE1 BE1 Sugar Cane (item) JE1 BE1 Added sugar canes.
Sugar canes are solid, making it useful for growable walls. Unlike on Java Edition, they were never renamed to Sugar Cane.
TU2Sugar canes are no longer solid, and arrows pass through them.
TU31CU19 1.22 Patch 3Sugar Cane JE2 BE2 The color of sugar cane now changes depending on the biome they're in.
TU60CU51 1.64 Patch 301.0.11Sugar cane can now be grown with bonemeal.
1.90 Sugar Cane (item) JE2 BE2 The texture of the sugar cane item has been changed.
1.91 Sugar cane can now be bought from wandering traders.
Sugar canes can now be used to fill up composters.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0Sugar Cane JE1 BE1 Sugar Cane (item) JE1 BE1 Added sugar cane.

Sugar cane "item"[]

The following content is transcluded from Technical blocks/Sugar Cane.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.11Sugar cane has an extra, unobtainable item form corresponding to its block ID. It can be obtained via inventory editors with numeric item ID 83.
Java Edition Beta
1.6Test Build 3Sugar cane items can be obtained from the newly added debug chests, mainly from the 25th slot of the 3rd chest from the left, and the 9th slot of the 7th chest from the left.
releaseDebug chests no longer spawn, preventing sugar cane items from being obtained this way.
1.8Pre-releaseThe block form of sugar cane is available in the Creative inventory, alongside its usually-obtainable item form.
Pre-release 2 ;)Added pick block functionality. This will change the currently selected slot to any containing this otherwise-unobtainable sugar cane item, but will not allow it to be obtained if not already in the hotbar.
Java Edition
?The direct block form of sugar cane is no longer available in the Creative inventory.
1.2.5prePick Block now returns the actually obtainable sugar cane item.
1.3.112w15aSugar cane items can now be obtained via Pick Block in creative.
12w16aPick Block once again returns the actually obtainable sugar cane item. Sugar cane items can now be obtained in singleplayer worlds via the /give command using the respective numeric ID.
1.7.213w37aThe direct item form of sugar cane has been removed from the game. It can no longer exist as an item in any way, only as a placed block.
Pocket Edition Alpha
Pre-releaseSugar cane exists as an item.
The sugar cane block item is currently available in the Creative inventory.
v0.2.1Survival players now start out with an infinite stack of the sugar cane block item in their inventory.
v0.3.0Survival players no longer start out with an infinite stack of the sugar cane block item in their inventory.
v0.5.0The sugar cane block item is given by the Nether reactor.
v0.6.0The correct sugar cane item is now given by the nether reactor and the creative inventory, making the block item no longer obtainable without inventory editing.[7]

Appearances[]

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.11Sugar Cane (texture) JE1 BE1 The sugar cane item uses this texture in inventories, when held in first person view, or as a dropped item.
?The sugar cane item uses the aforementioned texture when held in third person.
Java Edition
1.4.212w34aThe sugar cane item uses the aforementioned texture when in an item frame.
Pocket Edition Alpha
Pre-releaseSugar Cane (texture) JE1 BE1 The sugar cane item uses this texture in inventories, when held in first person view, or as a dropped item.
v0.6.0Sugar Cane (texture) JE1 BE1 The sugar cane block item now renders with a red background in the inventory.
v0.6.1Sugar Cane (texture) JE1 BE1 The sugar cane block item no longer renders with a red background in the inventory.[8]

Names[]

Java Edition

Item names did not exist prior to Beta 1.0.

  • Beta 1.0 - Beta 1.6 Test Build 3: Reeds
  • Beta 1.6 - ?: Sugar cane
Bedrock Edition

Uncraftable items did not have visible displayed names prior to v0.5.0 alpha.

  • v0.5.0 alpha - ?: Sugar cane

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Sugar Cane" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

  • 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).
  • By placing more sugar canes on top of a sugar cane plant, it is possible to create tall sugar canes (up to y=319, the maximum height for building), although they do not naturally grow this high.
  • Before sugar cane received an official name, they were sometimes referred to as bamboo, a block added 9 years later. Other names were "reeds" and "papyrus".

Gallery[]

Renders[]

In-game[]

Heights[]

References[]

  1. MC-214959 — "Sugar cane generated in cave" — resolved as "Fixed".
  2. MC-929 — "Sugar cane can be placed underwater" — resolved as "Works As Intended".
  3. MC-73963 — "Can't use bonemeal on cacti or sugar cane" — resolved as "Works As Intended".
  4. a b MC-216227
  5. https://bugs.mojang.com/browse/MC-174434
  6. MC-226683
  7. MCPE-883 — "Wrong sugarcane drop from the reactor and creative mode" — resolved as "Fixed".
  8. MCPE-1231 — "sugar cane has a red texure in the survival inventory" — resolved as "Fixed".
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