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Poaceae FAMILY

Thamnocalamus spathiflorus

Thamnocalamus spathiflorus

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Bamboo
Growth—

Thamnocalamus spathiflorus is found at moderate to high elevations (up to 3,600 metres) in the Himalayas, where it experiences frost and snow. One report says that it is only hardy in the milder areas of the temperate zone[1], though another says that it can tolerate short-lived temperatures falling to around -20°c. It is unlikely to tolerate prolonged exposure to low temperatures[PFAF]. Succeeds in most soils in sun or shade so long as the soil is moist[2]. Prefers a good loamy soil in a semi-shaded position[3, 4, 5], the leaves curling up when the plant grows in strong sunlight. Dislikes drought[3]. Requires a position sheltered from cold winds[5, 1]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[2]. 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. This pattern can vary - sometimes flowering is sporadic, with plants flowering annually and not dying; at other times it is gregarious with all the plants in a specific species coming into flower at the same time. In this species the flowering cycle is reported to be around 16 - 17 years[6].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available. Division in spring as new growth commences. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more[2]. Basal cane cuttings. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Thamnocalamus+spathiflorus>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]The Book of Bamboo — Farrelly. D. · Sierra Club. · 1984 · ISBN 0-87156-825-X ↩︎Very readable, giving lots of information on the uses of bamboos, both temperate and tropical.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  5. [5]Bamboos. — Lawson. · Faber · 1968 · ISBN - ↩︎Fairly comprehensive, it was once the standard work but is now rather dated. Deals with species hardy in Britain, giving cultivation details and some uses.
  6. [6]Bamboos of India: A Compendium — Seethalakshmi K.K., Muktesh Kumar M.S. · Brill. · 2002 · http://www.inbar.int/publication/txt/tr17/default.htm · ISBN 8186247254 ↩︎A very good book giving botanical descriptions of the plants with brief notes on subjects such as uses, habitat and range. It is also available to view on the Internet.
  7. [7]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  8. [8]Flowers of the Himalayas. — Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. · Oxford Universtiy Press · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.
  9. [9]Bamboos of Nepal — Stapleton. C. · The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · 1994 · ISBN 0947643680 ↩︎An excelllent little booklet that looks in some detail at the native bamboos of Nepal, including looking at their uses.
  10. [10]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  11. [11]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  12. [12]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
  13. [13]A Manual of Indian Timbers. — Gamble. J. S. · Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh · 1972 · ISBN - ↩︎First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.
  14. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎