This cultivar of Arundo donax earns its place in botanical garden-scale settings through sheer visual presence. Growing ten to twenty feet tall and spreading to ten feet wide, 'Peppermint Stick' produces the same broad, bamboo-reminiscent foliage as the species, but with persistent variegation that holds its mark through the growing season rather than fading to green by midsummer. The large purplish-brown plumes appear in late summer, catching light and movement in a way few grasses can match at this scale.

The fact that this cultivar appears to be sterile and generally does not set seed addresses the primary concern with the Arundo species, though the parent plant is still listed on invasive weed registries across North America and Canada for its ability to outcompete natives for water. 'Peppermint Stick' performs best in rich, damp soil, but will adapt to a remarkable range of conditions — it requires almost nothing except space. Cut it to the ground in winter and divide as needed; the clump will reassert itself with vigor in spring. Treat it as a focal specimen in a large-scale composition and give it a site where its spread can be managed.