Arundinaria gigantea is a species of bamboo known as giant cane (not to be confused with Arundo donax) and river cane. It is endemic to the south-central and southeastern United States as far west as Oklahoma and Texas and as far north as New York. This species is divided into two subspecies. The subspecies tecta is sometimes treated as a species in its own right, Arundinaria tecta, and is the taxon generally called switch cane. It is very similar to the nominate subspecies (gigantea), but is often smaller and tends to grow in wetter habitats.