Dinochloa andamanica

Cultivation Details

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]. New main branches develop annually, at first leafless, curved, tendril-like, later in the season covering themselves with a dense mass of foliage, which hangs down from the supporting trees and eventually smothers them. Where no large trees exist. This Bamboo forms an impenetrable tangled mass, spreading over shrubs and saplings^[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.