Have you noticed all the different species of bamboo showing up in the gardens of Hawaii? It’s not only here but with bamboo species introductions, education on care, maintenance and use by the American Bamboo Society, bamboos have become popular.
Have you noticed all the different species of bamboo showing up in the gardens of Hawaii? It’s not only here but with bamboo species introductions, education on care, maintenance and use by the American Bamboo Society, bamboos have become popular. Traveling this summer, we saw bamboos used in gardens from New York to Seattle.
The Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society is having its 16th annual Bamboo Festival on Sept. 13 at Nani Mau Gardens, 421 Makalika St., just off the Volcano Highway. Many new specialty bamboos will be available for sale, as well as talks on selecting species, care and maintenance. There will also be demonstrations on tools associated with bamboos. Hawaii artist Cal Hashimoto will be on the program, as well as Dean Johnson, nationally recognized architectural designer. The festival starts at 10 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. For more information, call Jacqui Marlin at 966-5080.
According to Peter Berg of Quindembo nursery, we now have more than 100 species of bamboo in Hawaii. Bamboos have had mixed reputations in the 20th century. With more than 1,200 species, folks are bound to give bamboos somewhat mixed reviews, especially on the U.S. mainland. Even though bamboos in Asia have been the foundation of many cultures, some running bamboos were considered unpopular, especially in the South where they grew too well.
It is important to note here that some bamboos grow only a few inches in height and others may reach 120 feet. Some are runners and some are well behaved and stay in tight clumps. Those folks who are opposed to bamboo might consider the old politically incorrect saying, “All Italians walk in single file. At least the one I saw did.” In other words, don’t judge all by the one you know.
Today, in Hawaii, many valuable and beautiful species have been introduced. Area nurseries have selected the best species for food, construction and crafts. They went to great expense to get them permitted, quarantined and finally propagated for distribution. There is at least one to fit the needs of even the most hardened opponents to bamboo.
Asia is the ancestral home of many kamaainas — both people and plants. When it comes to plants, one of the most valuable of these is bamboo.
With large tracts of land now available for forestry, and our local interest in sustainable agriculture, bamboo may become one of our major resources. In fact, folks are beginning to build bamboo houses here. If you are interested in more information on this subject, visit bambooliving.com for details.
Some folks only know bamboo from their experience with the rampant running species. Needless to say, these types are not for the small garden unless contained. However, they have been used very effectively to stabilize steep slopes that are prone to erosion. That is why we find large stands of running bamboos on the steeps slopes above Waiohinu in Ka‘u, Hana Road on Maui or at the back of Manoa Valley on Oahu. The intricate mat of roots and rhizomes hold soil and rocks in place and save roads, homes and streams from mud and rockslides. Bamboos are certainly a more attractive and environmentally sound approach to steep slope erosion control than concrete, wire or chainlink screens. Erosion on East Hawaii gulch roads is a serious problem that could be addressed with certain bamboo species.
Bamboos are also excellent cattle feed and have a place in supplying nutritious greens at a low cost.
Even though bamboos are excellent sources of edible shoots and construction material, most folks are interested in ornamental bamboos for their looks. Bamboos, of one type or another, are a natural for almost any tropical garden. In fact, many of the hundreds of types of bamboos do grow in the tropics, but some species grow as far north as New York or Seattle, and can be found growing up to 10,000 feet in the mountains of Asia, Central and South America.
Many specimens of bamboo are suitable for ornamental purposes. The clump bamboos are ideally suited for ornamental uses in their area of adaptation. They can be planted in groups for hedges or singly for specimen plantings. They spread very slowly and are easy to keep within bounds. One of the most popular is the Mexican weeping bamboo. Others to consider are the Bambusa multiplex forms such as Alphonse Karr, fern leaf, silver stripe and feather bamboo. These delicate clump types range from 10 to 20 feet high. Other rare clumping types are beginning to show up in nurseries like the Chusqueas, Drepanostachyums, and Fargesias.
For larger gardens, try Buddha’s belly, Oldham bamboo,punting pole bamboo, and Weaver’s bamboo. These are all clumping types in the 40- to 50-foot high range with fancy Latin names and multiple uses.
The giant tropical clumping bamboos need plenty of room since they soar from 50 to 120 feet tall under ideal conditions. This group includes the larger bambusa, dendrocalamus, guadua and Gigantochloa species that may have culms six to 12 inches in diameter. They are grown for edible shoots, construction material, windbreaks and furniture.
Miniature bamboos well-suited to container growing are the Sasa species and Shibatea kumasasa. These and other running bamboos like black bamboo can be kept small or bonsai when contained. The running bamboos are more difficult to keep in bounds than the clump bamboo. However, many are desirable as ornamental plants because of diversity in their habit of growth, appearance and size.
Bamboo does best in a moist, well-drained soil with some organic matter. Most bamboos do best in sunny locations or with light shade. Of course, there are always exceptions so there are those understory species that tolerate shade. Apply complete fertilizer such as organic types high in nitrogen or manures four to six times a year to the planting. Mulch the soil around the planting. Mulches add organic matter to the soil, help to restrict the growth of weeds and conserve soil moisture. Dead leaves or dry grass clippings can be used for mulch.
If you are interested in bamboo culture for economic and agricultural uses, contact an Extension office for the University of Hawaii Extension circular “Bamboo for Forest and Garden,” and be sure to come to the Bamboo Festival.
