How frequently and when does a bamboo
flower?
All the non-invasive winterhardy bamboos belong to Fargesia. This flowering in cycles varies from 80 to 120 years or more. The best known type, Fargesia
murieliae, was collected as a single plant in 1907 by the well-known plant hunter Ernest
Wilson. Between 1990 and 2000, spread over 10 years, the multiplications of this bamboo in all gardens of Europe and the U.S. started
flowering. After flowering, the plants always died off. With like result: many bare spots in our gardens. In the same period, Fargesia murieliae also had flowered everywhere in homeland China. With like
consequence: famine with the pandas. The next flowering of the new generation seedlings will be expected in scarcely over 100
years. Of Fargesia nitida it is known that (almost) all known types came into existence from seeds that were collected by the plant hunter Berezovski in South-Gansu in China during one flowering period in 1886.
Now, almost 120 years later, Fargesia nitida is again on the turn to go flowering and seed-forming for a new generation that again scarcely over 120 years shall go
flowering.
Fargesias form no underground runners. With flower and seed-forming, the reserve nourishment in the short rhizomes is quickly used up and there is no extra energy stored to make new shoots. Therefore, they die and after the flowering the mother plants make efficient room for the new generation seedlings. Running types can well survive the flowering . This type stores reserve nourishment in the long rhizomes. By cutting back again and again, the plant makes new culms that eventually can live longer.
Pruning back of flowering Fargesias doesn’t help. This we learned a few years back of the flowering by Fargesia murieliae. Also, Fargesia nitida forms small grassy spikelets, and after that seed, and dies of it. This seed can again be sown and the plants that originate from this have yet a life of 120 years for themselves. Try to go further with the strongest seedlings.
Why do all the examples of a type flower together? Is this how this happens in nature in China also?
The same-time flowering of bamboos is one of the least understood phenomena of the plant world. Probably each bamboo species has a built in clock that everywhere at the same time starts the flowering. A number of new Fargesia nitidas collected in the wild in China are this year flowering in my garden and thus also in China flowering. This bamboo covers large areas there and is for many pandas the chief food. The coming years we surely again are going to hear stories about food shortage.
Unfortunately, all varieties inclusive of well known Fargesia nitida ’Anceps’, ’Eisenach’ and ’Nymphenburg’ shall go flowering. Probably there are over 5 to 10 years still but there will be few non-flowering examples of these varieties left over. It is in each case advisable to not procure these bamboos anymore. Fargesia nitida ’Nanping’ falls outside this group because in the meantime it became obvious that this bamboo doesn’t belong with Fargesia nitida. This type received provisionally the name Fargesia sp. ’Nanping’. Between 1990 and 2000, a similar bamboo species, Fargesia murieliae, flowered.
Are there no suitable existing seedlings available that again go flowering nearly over a hundred years from now?
These are the most important obtainable selections: ’Jumbo’ and ’Bimbo’. When these varieties are obtained from reliable nurserymen people have more certainty of species’ authenticity. Fargesia murieliae belongs to the most winterhardy bamboos and the leaf has a bright green color. The variety ’Jumbo’ is a selection with relatively small leaves and becomes 3 meters tall with room. ’Jumbo’ ranks its best in a place of half shade but endures in moisture retaining soil and also some sun. A good type for wintergreen
hedges in half shade. ’Bimbo’ is a newer selection out of Denmark with fine leaves and an upright growth habit. This smallest non-invasive bamboo becomes not higher than 1 to 1.5 meters. Many nurseries offer newer vigorous but fewer tested out selections. There are too many to name here. But unfortunately there emerge still continually flowering plants from the “old generation” supplied with the “new generation” name. In the Netherlands and Belgium that is mostly Fargesia murieliae ’Kranich’ but also other improvised names are used. There are probably plants tissue-culture multiplied from 1991 of the old generation of which people thought that they were from the new generation. Through the use of growth hormones the date of flowering of this old generation is delayed to this day. The actual flower-safe new generation is represented by Fargesia murieliae ’Bimbo’, ’Jumbo’, ’Simba’ and many other new selections. According to this theory all the now still-flowering plants belong to the old generation. Fargesia denudata ’Lancaster’ also represents a flower-safe new generation. This elegant somewhat overhanging bamboo resembles Fargesia murieliae but has shiny leaves and overhanging branches. This type was not so long in the past brought as a seedling by Roy Lancaster out of China. Fargesia denudata ’Lancaster’ becomes to 3 meters tall and is very winterhardy. Fargesia denudata ’Xian 1’ and ’Xian 2’ are in all probability seedlings also. Fargesia dracocephala is also a new generation. Of two other important non-invasive types, Fargesia robusta and Fargesia ’Rufa’ we only know from communication that they not so long ago have flowered in China. Thus we hope for these types but that the news is right.
It is without a doubt at this moment Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou 1; in the trade also well known as Fargesia sp. ’Jiu’ or named “Red bamboo.” This bamboo should not go flowering the first 80 to 100 years because the mother plant not so long ago was collected as a seedling. Similarities to Fargesia nitida are many. With both bamboos the thin leaves roll with frost, sun, and dry up. Also, the great winterhardiness (to -25 degrees C) is comparable. An important difference forms with the culm leaves of
the culms. With Fargesia nitida they stay sometimes years and give the plant in duration a somewhat untidy and reedlike appearance. But with this Fargesia all the culm leaves fall off the new culms inside of a year. By this the colorful stems are freed. Recently by way of a comparative DNA investigation it has been found that Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou is very related to Fargesia nitida but probably is a new still undescribed species.
The color
The frequently used name “Red bamboo” is some concern of misunderstanding because Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou 1 does not have this color the whole year. With this bamboo the culms color to intense red in the spring sun. During the course of the summer this color goes to more orange-yellow and in the latter part of the summer it forms the new deep green culms in between. The bamboo’s typical red coloration is strongest in the sun in the months of March, April, and May.
Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou 1 belongs just as Fargesia nitida to the non-invasive bamboos. Every year mostly in the latter summer, the new culms which have barely or no branches form right by the plant. By this the bamboo becomes slowly wider. The growth is upright with somewhat overhanging tops. Older culms can sometimes hang through farther. But because the plant in November is in winter preparation some leaves drop off and thus the winter silhouette is always stiffly upright. This bamboo is a good choice for a hedge plant with a height of 2 to 3 meters. In humus rich not dried out ground Fargesia sp. ‘Jiu’ endures the sun well.
New Selections
The new selection Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou ‘Genf’ with room becomes 4 meters high and colors in the spring to intense red. With Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou ‘Willumeit 4’ the culms color to about black and become between 2 and 3 meters high. Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou ‘Willumeit 8’ stays lower and colors to red and has a very graceful leaf. Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou ‘Willumeit 9’ becomes certainly as tall. The thicker somewhat hanging through culms can color from red to dark purple. This possibly is a replacement for Fargesia nitida ‘Nymphenburg’. There are also already seedlings of Fargesia nitida but it is important to really learn the qualities in a longer trial period. Over 10 years when these seedlings are matured we can choose out the large variation in height, growth habit, andcolor. Bamboos look very much like each other.
How do you know that you buy the exact plant?
For someone who doesn’t associate daily with bamboo it is almost impossible to differentiate a potted flower-safe Fargesia sp. ‘Jiu’ from a potted flower-dangerous Fargesia nitida. It is always best with purchasing a bamboo to visit a specialized nursery or ask of a “no flower guarantee.” Or look on the Internet under Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou. In any case you can examine the plant for flowering. If you find a grassy spikelet of thickened red coloration on the end of the branches, then
flowering has begun.
Are there still other bamboo species that maybe in a very short time will go flowering and that you are better off not placing in your garden?
Outside the old generation of Fargesia murieliae that still as a new generation is emerging, there are no important bamboos of which we know that before long will go
flowering.
Southern California Bamboo Volume 16 No 1 January 2006
Reference Bamboe- Tijdschrift van de European Bamboo Society, afdeling Nederland. Jaargang 15, Nummer 2, Zomer 2005, p.10-13.