Plant Profile: Saccharum officinarum

Saccharum officinarum, commonly known as sugar cane, yields the greatest caloric output per square foot of cultivation compared to any other plant globally, accounting for 70% of the world's sugar supply. The sugar is derived from its stalks.

Believed to have originated in New Guinea, sugar cane was introduced to the Americas by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493. Today, it is cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in tropical regions. Notably, India and Brazil together produce about half of the world's cane sugar.