In some varieties of bamboo, every member of a given species will flower at the same anywhere in the world. Once every 75 years or so, a Moso Bamboo plant will flower and produce seeds. West of the Mississippi, Moso is especially difficult to grow. Even so, the small saplings are slow to establish. The most successful plants have come from tissue propagation. The best results have been in the Southeastern states, north of Florida. It represents a $36 billion-a-year industry in China.Īttempts to cultivate Moso in the Unites States have proven challenging. More than half of this bamboo occurs in natural forests, but it is managed by private interests, to be used for a wide range of applications. Over the last few decades, they have established about 3 million hectares of Moso. The vast majority of Moso grows in forests and plantations in China. In the right climate, this can be a very impressive and rewarding species to grow, either ornamentally or commercially. ![]() Moso bamboo cultivation ( Wikicommons) Cultivating Moso Bamboo In parts of China, where it is native, this species flourishes in vast forests.Ĭheck out our in-depth articles on Timber Bamboo and Running Bamboo to learn more. Moso bamboo is especially revered for its great size, impressive growth rate, and tremendous usefulness. ![]() This is one way of distinguishing it from its close relatives. Moso’s older species name, pubescens, meaning hairy, refers to the fine hairs that grow on the young culms. In fact, even experts can have a hard time telling them apart. Moso looks pretty similar to other large species of Phyllostachys, including Vivax, Giant Gray, and Japanese Timber ( P. A mature grove of Moso Bamboo will put out shoots with a 4-5 inch diameter. From this complex underground root system, new culms shoot out of the ground in the growing season and quickly grow to their full height. Members of the genus Phyllostachys are running bamboos, meaning that they spread and propagate by way of sprawling rhizome roots. But like most Phyllostachys, it can also tolerate more temperate zones and is cold-hardy down to about 10º F. In these regions, the plant can reach its full potential, with towering culms of 90 feet or more, and growing a couple of feet a day in the growing season. Native to Southern China and Taiwan, Phyllostachys edulis thrives in the warmer, balmy climates.
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