Dendrocalamus brandisii

Cultivation Details

A plant of the warm, moist tropics, where it can be cound at elevations up to 1,300 metres^[1]. The plant is frequently found on limestone, but it also grows well on well-drained loamy soils^[1]. Bamboos have an interesting method of growth. Each plant produces a number of new stems annually - these stems grow to their maximum height in their first year of growth, subsequent growth in the stem being limited to the production of new side branches and leaves. In the case of some mature tropical species the new stem could be as much as 30 metres tall, with daily increases in height of 30cm or more during their peak growth time. This makes them some of the fastest-growing species in the world^[PFAF]. The young shoots of this species emerge above the soil during the rainy season and develop to their full height in 4 - 6 months. After that the lateral branches start to develop. A culm becomes mature in 3 - 4 years^[1]. Bamboos in general are usually monocarpic, living for many years before flowering, then flowering and seeding profusely for a period of 1 - 3 years before usually dying. Very often, all the specimens of one species in a given area will all come into flowering at the same time. This species flowers sporadically as well as gregariously. Its life cycle is not known; in India an interval of 45 - 50 years between two gregarious flowerings has been reported^[1].