What happens when a Bamboo flowers?!

This week on The Horti-Culturalists we're taking a look at one of Stephen's bamboos - Phyllostachys nigra 'Boryana' - or Tiger Bamboo - that is flowering. Normally flowering is something to celebrate but with many Bamboos it means death is imminent! So we'll take a look at Stephen's plant, which is a clone from one in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens that is also flowering, and look at how to manage this process. We'll also investigate what the propagation options are and take a quick look at other Bamboos in Stephen's garden still living their best lives!
We made video about the various types of Bamboos here: • How to garden with Bam...
ANd the Bamboos we look at in this video are:
Phyllostachys nigra 'Boryana'
Phyllostachys bambusoides
Drepanostachym Falcatum - Himalayan Weeping Bamboo
Otatea acuminata - Mexican Weeping Bamboo
Phyllostachys nigra - Black Bamboo
Sasa palmata
Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'
Himalayacalamus hookerianus - Blue Bamboo

[@joeruffatto]

All of our Nigra species are in flower at our nursery, Bamboo Sourcery. We are located an hour north of San Francisco, California.This has been ongoing for the past 4 or 5 years. We have yet to see seed from any of them.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

The plot thickens! Regards Stephen

[@drewncarolina6381]

I heard another YT gardener in the UK last year say his black bamboo was beginning to flower. Im in the SE USA and my clump of black bamboo has not yet flowered but I've been watching and waiting just in case.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@UrsusOceanicus]

I have a 10 to 15 year old patch of P. nigra "bory" (splotched markings) in Nova Scotia, Canada, that started to flower last summer. Fascinating that the same will happen at almost the same time on the other side of the world. My P. nigra Henon is not flowering yet, and is sending up new shoots this year.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

The information is coming from all over but still seems inconclusive! Regards Stephen

[@brocktoon8]

Plants I will never plant in my garden (after managing other peoples' properties for some years): Maples, roses, and ivy. I might try an unthuggish bamboo though. I love the black-stemmed ones.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Never say never as you don’t know when a specific clone might tickle your fancy. Regards Stephen

[@brocktoon8]

@@thehorti-culturalists Well now that you mention it, Japanese maples are welcome! I'm sure there is a charming type of every plant. : )

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

I would never try acers and wouldn't touch any bamboo with a barge pole. Not least because the bamboos are so often mis-sold / mis-labelled

[@catacombcatholic5571]

A wealth of knowledge sharing. Thank you both!!!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad you enjoyed it! Regards Stephen

[@ss-kz9ee]

I'm from Queensland I had no idea bamboo flowers. My neighbour planted rows of bamboo on border. Actually love it. It's a green huge wall. And birds love it and it gives free mulch.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@kerryjean2223]

And free stakes.

[@dewdan11dnd46]

🫶🌿Such a wide,ranging genus, of Bamboo and their truly interesting aspects. Thanks for highlighting the flowering of Bamboo and their impending, protracted, demise. 👍💞

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Our pleasure! Regards Stephen

[@heathers9599]

Soooooo interesting! Thank you. I’m wanting to grow some bamboo in Bendigo.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Glad you enjoyed it. Regards Stephen

[@grandmothergoose]

I got a bamboo seedling many years ago, the year after a world-wide bamboo seeding event. The seed was planted and popped up during the spring, I got hold of it the following autumn. It was about 1 foot tall and had 3 leaves on it. The following spring - it's first birthday - it shot up 2 very skinny fragile looking little culms that got to about 4-5 feet tall. The following spring - it's second birthday - it shot up 4 culms that got to around half an inch thick and 8 feet tall and were green with golden stripes. On its third birthday it shot up multiple culms 1 inch thick, 10 -12 feet tall, same colouration, and although it did get a bit taller and the culms got a little bit thicker in the next couple of years, it was pretty obvious how it was going to be from that point on. Sadly, I sold my home and moved away and never got to see it again, but my point is, unless it's a huge timber bamboo, it's not likely to take 10 - 15 years to figure out what colouration of bamboo a seedling is going to grow up to be and have an educated guestimation of its eventual maximum height and culm thickness. How large a clump it will form is a whole different story, but that can usually be worked out and extrapolated upon just using maths once average culm thickness and the usual distance between culms is known. I'm going to guess given the size of the parent plant, you'll have a pretty good idea what your new seed-grown bamboo is going to do by the time it's no more than 5 years old. [I'll have to stay subbed for the next 5 years now just to see if I'm right lol]

[@thehorti-culturalists]

you will. Regards Stephen

[@BethHaskin]

Hello. Thank you so much for the video on bamboos flowering. I live in Snohomish WA about 25 miles NE of Seattle. One of my black bamboo gave up the ghost two years ago - I couldn't figure out what happened. I have seedlings coming up in the half wine barrel that it was in now. A second one has now just started flowering. I have four from the same nursery lot that I planted about 6 or 7 years ago - hoping I don't lose them all since it's a privacy screen. So glad I have an answer to the mystery now!!! Thank you!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching! Glad we could help!

[@juliashearer7842]

Hi, 👋 I am in the UK and I have s phyllostachys in a large pot. (Possibly aureosulcata spectabilis). I have had it in a pot for around ten years and divide it when necessary. It has flowered year after year and I thought it was going to die the first time it happened. I diligently cut all the flowers off in case I could save it that way! It didn't die. And it has flowered for at least three years in a row. Why is it not dead? Thank you. I already follow Matthew's channel and now this channel too.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

they can start flowering and continue for several years then give up. So there is still time for it to die! Regards Stephen

[@jimlebo5642]

Here in Oregon, most of our black bamboo has been flowering and dying for the past couple of years. None of the seed seems to be fertile. There are some patches that have not been flowering (yet) and may be a different clone. Our Bory just started to flower this spring. We're hoping to get some fertile seed perhaps from the Bory and some of the still flowering remnants of the regular black bamboo. We also have a clump of black bamboo that seems to have flowered, but may be recovering. A dozen years ago, Fargesia nitida flowered and died but the seed was fertile and we propagated it. A few years ago we had a Chusquea (gigantea perhaps?) that flowered. It was fertile and we got many seedlings that unfortunately mostly died that winter during an unusually cold spell. There are some large timber bamboos that are rampant on my property that I would like to see flower and die just to be able to start over!!

[@thehorti-culturalists]

I also had Fargesia nitida flower a few years ago and die but can’t remember exactly when and. yes the giant ones might be easier to deal with if they died. Regards Stephen

[@katrinkatterman3069]

Pacific Northwest USA - black bamboos were flowering last summer (August ‘23). Anecdotally, people were saying that it had been happening for a year or two before that, that people had black bamboo that flowered but came back, and others who said their bamboo was just fine. It sounds like it is the kind of thing where there is a trend happening, but not *all*.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

it could be more myth than reality. Time will tell. Regards Stephen

[@ericpanda]

I live in Seattle and my black bamboo hasn’t flowered yet.

[@davereed2500]

I volunteer at a botanic garden in northern Virginia , USA with just over 100 cold hardy bamboo varieties. There doesn't seem to be a map to identify many, but one that is clearly a Phyllostachys nigra is flowering. Of course, we are just heading into summer, but I see signs of decline.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Interesting - thanks for watching!

[@chastityhadley]

I have the same bamboo. It is flowering and dying. I’m on the west coast of the US.

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Well it does seem to be true that a clone will usually flower world wide at least with some bamboos. Regards Stephen

[@lukebanks9855]

We have bamboo in flower in Surrey. Real shame as it forms a brilliant walkway

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Thanks for watching!

[@sylviahardy4568]

So does that mean that a particular selection of bamboo, once flowered worldwide and an ex bamboo, can't be exactly propagated, relying on new selections from its seedlings?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Yes although a seedling may look identical to the original clone or be perhaps even more attractive. Regards Stephen

[@zbarcalab4390]

I have a large garden which in want to turn into a prehistoric looking forest, with large oaks, horse chestnuts, maples, some camellias, firs, spruces, bunch of pines, a few giant sequoias and of course palms (trachycarpus in the shade and chamaerops in the sunny spots) and I also wanted to plant some bamboo, but from what I've read online they don't do well in dry climates, here the summers get very little rain and they can get to 40 ish Celsius. I could technically go and water it atleast once a week, but seeing as I would like to plant multiple clumps and that my well water is limited, I was wondering if you could tell me if there are any drought tolerant bamboo?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

there are some but the best that I’m aware of is Mexican weeping bamboo Otatea acuminata. Regards Stephen

[@Ash_9]

In the hot interior valleys of California, where summer is routinely above 40C, these are the clumping bamboo that we grow, per my local horticulturist: Bambusa multiplex, Bambusa textilis, Bambusa ventricosa, and Bambusa vulgaris. For reference, my local horticulturist was president of the American Bamboo Society and he is the son of one of the founding members.

[@zbarcalab4390]

@@Ash_9 thx for the suggestions, most of them would cost me a looot of money just for the transport itself and some of them would not even survive our winters, so thats an oof, but thank you anyway

[@MDA-rs4uf]

Do you cut any of them (bamboo) back ever or just let them do as they please....??? I'm trying to grow a "bamboo" muhly grass (muhlenbergia dumosa) that's proven to be a no go in the yard because of cold.......the only thing I am now hoping for,, is the 2 plants that I have left are close enough to the house on the south side of the house that perhaps they will survive....it grows in downtown Atlanta at the Atlanta botanical gardens but so far it won't grow 20 miles southwest of the heat island of Atlanta... I bought 30 plugs originally and gave away many and have 2 left...doesn't bode well..

[@thehorti-culturalists]

it isn’t a true bamboo but from what you have said I doubt they will make it. Regards Stephen

[@haiderali-yw8of]

How to get seeds of this bamboo? Are they up for sale?

[@thehorti-culturalists]

Sorry but I won’t be selling the seed as I’m not set up for seed sales. Regards Stephen

[@Cheezel.01]

if you are anywhere near portland Oregon you can come get some of mine

[@Cheezel.01]

i'm in Portland oregon usa, mine started flowering 2 seasons ago, not a whole lot last season but this season they are all seeded. Black bamboo but not sure of the specific species. Not sure what ill do yet

[@thehorti-culturalists]

It is like the rest around the world that I have heard about and could be about to slowly die of exhaustion. Regards Stephen