Native to the Southeastern United States, the Arundinaria genus is considered to have the only temperate bamboos and has many species that can be hard to differentiate.

[3] A. tecta is often confused with A. gigantea and A. appalachiana and may need the combined effort of range, morphology, and genetics to distinguish between the species.

Regardless, A. tecta and the Arundinaria genus as a whole have many significant cultural and environmental implications in the Southeastern United States.

Arundinaria tecta, or switchcane,[4] is a bamboo species native to the Southeast United States,[4][5] first studied in 1813.

Also called switchcane, the Arundinaria genus is native to the Southeastern United States and considered the only temperate bamboo species.

[17] Arundinaria species serve as an important plant to many indigenous groups throughout the southeastern United States.

All species of Arundinaria significantly decreased since early colonization, with overgrazing by introduced cattle, land clearing for agriculture, and a disturbance in fire cycles cited as the main causes.

[23] The suppression of fire for a few hundred years is credited to have significantly reduced the health and extent of many Arundinaria species.

[24] This means genetic diversity and gene pools are significantly smaller than in historic populations which poses challenges for restoration.

Canebrakes are important plant communities because they provide habitat for other organisms, improve water quality, and reduce soil erosion.

[25] Restoration projects are therefore not only important culturally to many in the Southeastern United States but also have strong implications for environmental health and biodiversity.