Sugarcane stems are either green or reddish-brown and made up of jointed segments, called growth rings and root bands. The segments are made up of vascular bundles, that contain an edible sweet sap from which sugar is gained, as well as molasses and rum, and nowadays also ethanol.

The root bands that lie along the stem have buds on them and sugarcane is propagated by planting a section of the stem in soil, after which a new cane stem will grow from the buds.