Clumping or Non-Invasive Bamboo Plants

Noninvasive bamboo grows in tight clumps.

The favorite food of China's giant panda bears, clumping bamboo is a noninvasive, long-lasting addition to your garden. Although it is technically just a grass, clumping bamboo can grow up to 25 feet tall and endure temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. Unlike running bamboo, clumping bamboo spreads slowly, rather than rapidly propagating far beyond the original plant site.

Differences between Clumping and Running Bamboo

The primary difference between clumping (noninvasive) and running (invasive) bamboo resides in the plants' rhizomes. A rhizome is a plant stem that grows below ground, usually extending horizontally, that sends shoots upward and roots downward. The rhizomes of running bamboo rapidly extend beyond the original plant and create larger stems (called culms) above ground. Clumping bamboo rhizomes do expand as well, but much more slowly and their thinner culms tend to stay grouped together. Running bamboos provide more of a visual impact, as they are available in more colors and heights, but require containment of a wall or planter to prevent unwanted spreading.

Clumping Bamboo Origins

Clumping bamboos come from the mountains of China, South and Central America, and India, with one species native to South Africa. Because the clumping variety originates on mountain sides, it is sometimes called "mountain bamboo." Mountain bamboo is an understory plant, meaning that it grows in the shaded region between the taller tree cover and the ground. Thus, it will not flourish in full sun but requires a shady, sheltered location. The plant's mountain origin explains its tolerance of cold temperatures as well.

Clumping Bamboo Cultivation

Clumping bamboo is a low-maintenance plant that adapts well to a variety of soils. However, given their mountain origins, these plants cannot take the intense heat of summers in the southern United States. They prefer well-drained soils and a thorough weekly watering. NPR's Ketzel Levine indicates that morning sun suits these plants, as long as they are in shade for the afternoon. Like other grasses, bamboo requires a fertilizer high in nitrogen during the spring and first month of summer.

Bamboo Blooms and Seeds

Master Gardener Paul James noted on HGTV.com that clumping bamboo dies after it flowers---but the plant takes 70 to 120 years to produce its blossoms. The blossoms lack petals and nectar, and thus are not visually striking. Most bamboo types blossom only irregularly and in similarly lengthy bursts, which limits the seed availability. Further limiting seed availability and variety is the USDA's year-long quarantine in which bamboo seeds are placed when entering the country. Thus, bamboo is generally grown from transplants in the United States.

Bamboo Uses

Bamboo is highly versatile, providing food for animals and humans and the material for buildings, musical instruments, paper, and fabric. The American Bamboo Society notes that while some growers enjoy shoots as snacks right off the plants while gardening, bamboo shoots generally should be cooked before eating. In addition to allaying any bitter taste, cooking removes any potential cyanogens (a component of the poison cyanide). Working with bamboo stalks for crafts projects usually requires heating the culms to make them pliable; when they cool, the stalks retain the molded position.

References

• 1 HGTV: Clumping Bamboo
• 2 Merriam-Webster.com: Rhizome
• 3 Organic Gardening: Non-Invasive Bamboo
• 4 Burt Associates Bamboo: Mountain Bamboo
• 5 Ketzel Levine's Talking Plants: Clumping Bamboo

Resources

• HGTV.com: Adding Bamboo to Your Garden