What Is Bamboo?

• Bamboo belongs to the grass family, Gramineae, tribe Bambuseae. It is distinguished by the special structure of its stem, or 'culm', the fact that it reaches full height in a short period, its rapid rate of growth, and its singular flowering habit.

• Bamboo does not flower annually, but once every 7 to 120 years, depending on the species. At that time, that species will flower (and generally produce seed, depending on the genus) all over the world - with variances due to environmental and horticultural influences. The parent plant may then die completely

Types of Bamboo Growth

There are two main types of bamboo growth, these are determined by the root of the plant, or the 'rhizome' structure. These types are:
• Clumpers (sympodial)
• Runners (monopodial)

 

In general, the clumpers are tropical whereas the runners are of temperate climates. Runners can be highly invasive and uncontrollable but Rhizome barriers can be effective if properly installed. This type of growth is better suited for container plantings than most of the large clumpers.