Sasa cernua
Makino
Okuyama zasa
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What to Eat
Edible parts: Shoots
Young shoots are eaten cooked.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
Asia, Japan,
How to Identify
An evergreen bamboo reaching 1.8 m in height with year-round foliage. Hermaphroditic flowers are wind-pollinated. Accommodates sandy, loamy, and clay soils with mildly acidic to basic pH. Grows in semi-shade and prefers consistently moist soil.
How to Grow
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a damp humus rich soil in partial shade. Members of this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Plants only flower at intervals of many years. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die. The rootstock can be rampant and invasive.
Propagation: Surface sow seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°C if possible. Stored seed is best sown as soon as it is received. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually occurs fairly quickly with good-quality seed, though it can take 3–6 months. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in a lightly shaded greenhouse until large enough to plant out, which may take several years. Plants flower only at intervals of several years, so seed is rarely available. Division in late spring as new growth begins is also possible. Take large divisions with as little root disturbance to the main clump as possible. Grow on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of high-fertility sandy medium, misting foliage regularly until established. Plant out once a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more. Divisions of fewer than 5–6 culms rarely succeed.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
None known
Wikipedia
Source ↗An evergreen bamboo reaching 1.8 m in height with year-round foliage. Hermaphroditic flowers are wind-pollinated. Accommodates sandy, loamy, and clay soils with mildly acidic to basic pH. Grows in semi-shade and prefers consistently moist soil.
Names & Synonyms
References (1)
- http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/sorting/Bamboos_Edible.html
