If you are reading this column on Sunday morning, you still have time to hop in your car and drive to the Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society meeting at noon at the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary, Kaloko Mauka.
If you are reading this column on Sunday morning, you still have time to hop in your car and drive to the Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society meeting at noon at the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary, Kaloko Mauka. There will be a potluck luncheon followed by a tour of the bamboos. Most of the sanctuary is forested with native trees naturally established on the 1801 lava flow from Mauna Hualalai. Approximately 15 acres were in pasture left over from the days when the property was part of Huehue ranch. Today the grass is gone and planted with trees made available through the forestry service, botanical gardens, and local bamboo and palm societies.
If you have a GPS, locate it by this address: 73-1850/73-1865 Hao Street. Or, drive up Kaloko Drive for three miles, turn right on Hao and it is the second drive on the right. Park on Hao street. You will likely see several cars already there. This is your opportunity to meet “bambooseros” and learn more about this amazing group of valuable plants. Call Donna Manion, at 315-9870 for further information on the bamboo society.
Global warming continues to be in the news with ice caps in the arctic and Antarctic melting. Increased carbon dioxide is one issue, but the other side of the coin is decreased oxygen. Extremes of droughts, floods and temperatures further exacerbate this global crisis. Severe drought and fires in the western United States and floods in the east are examples of what is happening worldwide.
What can we do about it?
Some folks are reversing the trend by planting vegetation in areas that have become deforested. Reforestation on the windward side of the Big Island is one example. This includes the reforestation that occurs even in our urban and suburban gardens. Organizations such as the outdoor circles, garden clubs, commercial landscape and forestry associations as well as societies such as the American Bamboo Society are all doing their part to make a positive difference.
With the closing of our sugar companies and available land for diversified agriculture, it is an exciting time for Hawaii. In the years to come, we will have many new opportunities to focus on sustainable agriculture and forestry.
Besides joining the ABS, a big opportunity to get the scoop on this ancient crop of Asia will be networking with people who want to make this world a greener, better place.
Now, let’s look at some of the outstanding bamboos that are being considered for multiple uses in Hawaii’s sustainable agriculture picture.
There are more than 1,200 species of bamboo found from sea level to 10,000 feet in elevation. Most come from Asia, but some outstanding species come from Africa and the Americas. One of the best for construction is the South American genus of Guadua. Culms used in Colombian houses over one hundred years old have stood up better than many hardwoods. Some clumping types from the Himalayas are cold hardy and are grown as far north British Columbia. There are many hardy running types that are used for erosion control in steep road cuts like the Hamakua to Hilo highway. Some folks do not like running bamboos since many species travel where you may not want them. However, some of the best bamboos for eating, crafts, cloth and construction happen to be the running types. There is no such thing as a bad plant, but it is important to grow them in the right place.
Clumping bamboos are those that stay where you put them and thus they are usually more popular. The genus Dendrocalamus contains some of the biggest bamboos of all. Some grow to 120 feet in height with a culm diameter up to 12 inches. Growth has been recorded at over three feet in one day with the majority of height reached in three months. These are the favorite bamboos in Southeast Asia for construction, crafts and edible shoots. My favorite is Dendrocalamus brandisii which is native to Burma. It can reach a height of over 100 feet and culm diameter of eight inches. The leaves are about a foot in length and are similar to our local yellow ginger in appearance. It is used in house construction, furniture, basketry, paper pulp and edible shoots. It will grow from sea level to at least 4,000 feet elevation when given sufficient water and nutrients.
Other favorites include Dendrocalamus membranaceus, which reaches up to 70 feet tall with culms four inches in diameter. The leaves are very small and delicate, giving a fern like appearance. Dendrocalamus latiflorus from China reaches 80 feet and culms eight inches in diameter. Both are used in construction, crafts and for edible shoots. They do well from sea level to at least 3000 feet where they are being tested at Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary in Kaloko Mauka. Another large bamboo that is beautiful and edible is Nastus elatus from New Guinea. The plant may reach 50 feet or more and has the look of a weeping willow.
Of course, big isn’t the only thing bamboos do. The smallest ones are less than 6 inches tall, and there are many delicate species of moderate growth that are ideal for the small garden. These include Mexican weeping bamboo, Siamese bamboo, Bambusa nutans from the Himalayas, Bambusa textilis and the many forms of Bambusa multiplex. The latter species contains many beautiful cultivars like Alphonse Karr, Fernleaf, Chinese Goddess, Silver Stripe and Willowy. If you want to obtain really rare species, we are fortunate to have one of the main producers of bamboos on the Big Island. Quindembo Bamboo Nursery is owned and operated by Susan Ruskin and Peter Berg. They may be reached at 885-4968. Check out their website at bamboonursery.com. Other folks propagating rare bamboos are Gaia Yoga in lower Puna, Jay Manion in Mountain View and Jim Parker in Hawi.
Don’t forget, when you join the society, you will enjoy monthly meetings held at different bamboo planting sites in both East and West Hawaii.
This information is supplied by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
