Schizostachyum blumei

Cultivation Details

Young shoots are produced continuously in a mature clump. At first a young shoot is erect, up to about 2 m tall, and later the upper part becomes pendulous. When leafy branches develop, the culm cannot support itself and flops over older culms. In the field a clump of Schizostachyum blumei looks like a compact bush, with old culms flopping over and young shoots sticking up above the old culms.|Flowers can be found all the year round, but fruits are rare^[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]. 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.