BAMBOO
A PLANT WHOSE TIME HAS COME
Bamboos are a hardy, diverse group of landscape plants.
In order to understand how to use them in the landscape
it is important to understand the types of bamboo and how they grow.
Bamboo is often confused with Japanese knot weed or polygonum. Polygonum not only spreads by its vigorous root system, but also as flowers and sows abundant seed. Japanese knot weed is nearly impossible to control.
Much interest has been centered around ornamental grasses and bamboo in the last few years. They are an integral part
of new American style of design, pioneered by Wolfgang Ohgme and James Van Sweden, which relies heavily on the use on native perennials, grasses and bamboos.
Grasses and bamboos have been used extensively in Europe for nearly a century. Bamboos have been used in Japan and China for thousands of years. “Chinese” Wilson, the famous plant collector from Arnold Arboretum in Boston, and his original introduction of Sasa senanensis still thrives at the Arnold Arboretum.
Environmentally Friendly
Rapid Growth and Regeneration:
Unlike trees, bamboo is a grass that grows incredibly fast, some species even growing up to a meter a day, and it regenerates from its roots, meaning it doesn't need to be replanted after harvesting.
Low Water and Chemical Requirements:
Bamboo requires significantly less water than other crops, and it doesn't need pesticides or fertilizers to grow, making it a low-impact crop.
Biodegradable:
Bamboo is a natural, biodegradable material, meaning it breaks down naturally and doesn't contribute to landfill waste.
Carbon Absorption:
Bamboo absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees, helping to combat climate change.
Versatile Material:
Bamboo can be used in a wide variety of products, from clothing and bedding to furniture and construction materials.
Sustainable Harvesting:
Bamboo can be harvested without killing the plant, allowing for frequent and sustainable harvests.
Flowering
BAMBOO AND THE EFFECTS OF FLOWERING
The flowering of bamboo is a fascinating and often misunderstood process. The common misconception is that when a bamboo flowers,
it dies and completely and never regenerates itself. In fact, when a bamboo flowers it will regenerate itself completely in a few years.
The most common reason that bamboos flower is due to their life cycle. The length of the bamboos life cycle varies dramatically depending on species from a few years to more than 100 years. Bamboo can be said to flower sporadically or gregariously depending on the length time between flowering.
Running bamboo are often monopodial types, show the full range of flowering cycles:
GREGARIOUS FLOWERING: occurs on many species. Pleioblastus chino vaginatus variegatus has been in and out of flowering for the past 20+ years.
SPORADIC or IRREGULAR FLOWERING: has occurred on many species of Phyllostachys. In the United States, P. nigra, P. dulcis, P. aurea variegatus and P. flexuosa have flowered in the past 20+ years. These bamboos have a genetic clock that initiates the flowering cycle throughout the world in the same species at approximately the same time.
Clump-form bamboos, or sympodial types, flower sporadically within each species. There can be a variance of 20 years or more in initiation of the flowering cycle within one species of bamboo.
