Practical
Plants

Phyllostachys bambusoides

Madake

a woody evergreen member of the Phyllostachys genus in the family Gramineae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
8 m
Spread
8 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young shoots - cooked as a vegetable[12][13][2]. Large but somewhat acrid when raw[15], they require boiling in a lot of water or in several changes of water[7]. The shoots are harvested in the spring when they are about 8cm above the ground, cutting them about 5cm below soil level. The shoots contain about 2.1% protein, 0.3% fat, 3.2% carbohydrate, 0.9% ash[6].

Plant part
Stem

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are antipyretic[10]. New shoots are used in the treatment of haematuria[10].

Product or use
Antipyretic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant has an extensive root system and is used for erosion control. The stems are used for making furniture, plant supports etc[13][15][16]. Fairly thick walled, the canes are considered to be the most versatile of this genus and are used in construction and other industrial uses[8]. Even the dead culms are durable[8].

Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Earth stabiliser

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat
Woodland and especially on lower cleared slopes[5].
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available. Division in spring as new growth commences. Divisions from the open ground do not transplant well, so will need careful treatment and nurturing under cover in pots until at least late spring[11]. Division is best carried out in wet weather and small divisions will establish better than large clumps[11]. Another report says that you can take large divisions from established clumps and transfer them straight to their permanent positions, misting or drenching them frequently until they are established[9]. Basal cane cuttings in spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a rich loamy soil and plenty of moisture in the growing season[1] plus a sheltered position[9]. A very hardy plant[3][12], tolerating temperatures down to about -18°c, but it dislikes prolonged exposure to hard frosts[9]. Plants can reach 25 metres in height in their native habitat, they are much smaller in Britain but, even so, a height of 12 metres has been recorded in Cornwall. Cultivated for its edible shoots in China[7], it is the most widely grown bamboo in Japan for its useful canes[8]. It has been widely planted for ornament in the Mediterranean and is becoming naturalized there[14]. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[9]. 'Castillon' has smaller culms than the species type, the edible shoots are less bitter[8]. A plant of this cultivar at Trebah gardens in Cornwall was growing well in woodland shade, it was 5 metres tall with canes 20mm in diameter[K]. This is a good companion species to grow in a woodland because the plants are shallow rooted and do not compete with deep rooted trees[8]. The rootstock is running but not aggressively so, especially in the cooler climate of Britain[12]. New shoots are produced from late May[12]. Individual stems can be long lived, staying leafy for up to 20 years[8]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[9]. Plants only flower at intervals of several years, viable seed is usually produced[4]. When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened. They usually die after flowering, but if left alone they will sometimes 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[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

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  4. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 1. 1979 - 1980. Royal Horticultural Society 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9

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  6. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  8. Farrelly. D. The Book of Bamboo Sierra Club. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-87156-825-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  10. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  11. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2

  12. Lawson. Bamboos. Faber 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  14. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

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  15. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  16. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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