BAMBUSA TEXTILIS

 

                  

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Probable height in Southern California within 3 years = 30'

Probable ultimate height in Southern California = 40'

Height in habitat = 40'

Loses leaves around 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Loses canes around 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dies around -5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

If growing in the ground it prefers to grow in full sun.

A clumping bamboo - rhizomes will not run sideways.

Minimum soil depth required for a healthy plant = 1'

Unrestrained rhizome depth in moist soil = 2'

 

            Compact clump of straight, tough, narrow & thin-walled 2" diameter canes which create a handsome, graceful ornamental plant.  Said to be the hardiest of the Bambusas, but plants in Florida in 1989 showed some leaf burn at 23 degrees.  Gerald Bol had plants which experienced 16 degrees with no leaf loss.  The dried culms are resistant to the powder post beetle, which will sometimes eat out the inside of the culm on other varieties & leave only white powder plus a scattering of minute holes on the outer skin.  Seems somewhat drought tolerant.  Not too common because somewhat more difficult to propagate than other giant tropicals in that it is harder to grow from culm cuttings & because of its habit of leafing out high up on the culm it is hard to make a division smaller than a 15 gallon can.  Also there is not as much mother stock available since it is not commonly used for hedging.

            Paul But in Hong Kong said "because of the long internodes & tough, plaint fibers it provides good material for handicrafts & daily utensils.  An acid commonly known as tabasheer is collected from inside the internodes & used to treat fevers, delirium & infantile epilepsy."

            In 1985 this variety was flowering both in Puerto Rico & China.  In 1988 it flowered & went to seed at the USDA entry station at Sherman Gardens in Florida.  40% of the culms were in full flower, produced several hundred seedlings & then stopped producing seed & returned to their normal appearance with no die-back.

            In April 1990 we potted up 10 culm cuttings in our S. Laguna greenhouse at the suggestion of Steve Scranton who said it had been accomplished in Florida. In May 1990 we potted up 43 more. By September all our cuttings were dead without producing either new foliage or roots.  However, Richard Neufield was successful in Oceanside.  We intend to try again with bottom heat if we ever get a greenhouse with bottom heat built in Perris.

            Native to the Guangxi & Guangdong Provinces in South-east China.