Practical
Plants

Phyllostachys flexuosa

Zig-Zag Bamboo

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
6 m
Spread
6 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[10][11][2][5]. Slightly acrid raw, they are usually boiled in at least one change of water and added to salads etc[6]. The canes are about 10mm in diameter[K]. The shoots are harvested in the spring when they are about 8cm above the ground, cutting them about 5cm below soil level.

Plant part
Stem

Material uses

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

The canes are not of the highest quality but can be used for plant supports etc. The medium quality wood is good for all standard bamboo uses for canes of this size[7].

Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China.
Habitat
Not known
Shade tolerance
partial shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
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[9]. Division is best carried out in wet weather and small divisions will establish better than large clumps[9]. 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[8]. Basal cane cuttings in spring.

Cultivation

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

Requires a rich damp soil in a sheltered position[8] and plenty of moisture in the growing season[1]. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -17°c. According to another report the plant only suffers minor leaf damage at -22°c[7]. The plants dislike prolonged exposure to hard frosts[8]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[8]. 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[3]. A plant at Trebah gardens in Cornwall was flowering heavily in May 1995[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[7]. The rootstock is running[10] but not aggressively so, especially in the cooler climate of Britain[8]. New growth appears from late March[10]. Plants need quite a lot of space because the outer culms spread out sideways and arch over[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. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 1. 1979 - 1980. Royal Horticultural Society 1979-00-00

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

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  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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

    ↩1↩2

  10. Lawson. Bamboos. Faber 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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