"Male" and "Female" cane are of the same species. The only difference lies in the growth period. Cane grows by water, but the stems should not be submerged as the roots must reach down to the water.
Cane should be harvested in its second year, in the winter. It must be left to dry two years before it is sold. The cane should then be golden yellow in color and hard. It should not be possible to mark it with the thumb nail.
"Male" cane starts growing in the Spring - it is hard, nonporous and is the best cane for reed-making. The "Female" cane starts to grow later, in July - it is soft and porous, thus it is inferior to the "Male" cane. The reason for the "Female's" inferiority is due to its rapid growth, which results in a coarser wood and is less resistant to winter frosts. The distance between the joints is longer.
In the second year of growth, offshoots spring from the joints. Just above the offshoot, a small groove appears in the main stem. Along this groove the grain of the wood is much coarser and if included in a reed, it will absorb moisture quicker than the tight-grained part. A musician might blame the quality of the cane, whereas, in fact it is only the grooved section which is necessarily weaker and more porous.