Thyrsostachys siamensis
Thyrsostachys siamensis also known as Monastery Bamboo, Thai Bamboo or Umbrella Bamboo is a tropical species of medium sized timber bamboo native to China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Phyllostachys edulis
Phyllostachys edulis, commonly known as Moso Bamboo, or Tortoise-shell Bamboo, is a temperate species of giant timber bamboo native to China and Taiwan. It is the largest temperate bamboo on earth and the most economically important bamboo in China.
Gigantochloa apus
Gigantochloa apus, also known as String Bamboo or Pring Tali, is a dense tropical clumping bamboo native to Southeast Asia. It is the most economically important bamboo in Java, especially in the handicraft and furniture industry.
Gigantochloa atroviolacea
Gigantochloa atroviolacea, also known as Java Black Bamboo or Tropical Black Bamboo, is a dense tropical clumping bamboo native to Java, Indonesia. This bamboo species prefers to grow in dry areas where the purplish black color of its culms becomes more prominent.
American Bamboo Species
Contrary to what many believe, bamboo doesn’t originate from Asian countries alone, it is also abundant and native in America. In fact the world’s strongest bamboo is American.
Common Bamboo Names
Landscapers, gardeners and garden books, frequently use common bamboo names to refer to popular bamboos. To help you find corresponding botanical names, the following list includes some of the most common bamboo names used in the United States and their botanical equivalents.
Neololeba atra
Neololeba atra also known as Long Pipe Bamboo or New Guinea Thin-walled Bamboo is a tropical clumping bamboo originating from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. This bamboo species is often used for basket making and other handicrafts.
Dendrocalamus membranaceus
Dendrocalamus membranaceus also known as Waya Bamboo and formerly classified as Bambusa membranacea is a medium-sized tropical clumping bamboo originating from Southeast Asia. This bamboo species is a good source for paper pulp and has edible shoots.
Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata'
Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata' or Painted Bamboo, (previously known as Bambusa vulgaris 'Striata') is a giant tropical and subtropical clumping bamboo native to China and Japan. It is one of the most cultivated ornamental bamboos in the tropical world.
Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin'
Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin' or Dwarf Buddha Belly Bamboo is a tropical and subtropical clumping bamboo native to South China.
Types of Bamboo Rhizomes
The bamboo rhizome is the underground part of a bamboo stem (culm). However, rhizomes are not roots, roots grow under the rhizome and culms erect on top of the rhizome.
Bamboo Stem Anatomy
The stem is the part of the bamboo plant that grows above the ground, it is usually straight and cylinder-formed (to some extent oval). These bamboo stems have nodes (diaphragms) between two internodes, that strengthen the stem.
Bambusa
Bambusa is a medium to large size bamboo genus, and very popular among growers and cultivators. They are usually very strong and have thick culm walls, with small branches and small leaves.
Cephalostachyum
The genus Cephalostachyum is a primitive tropical and subtropical bamboo. Species of this bamboo grow in dense clumps with thin-walled weak culms.
Chimonobambusa
Bamboo species of the genus Chimonobambusa are running bamboos with swollen nodes that bear thorns in many species, they have 3 branches at the nodes.
Chusquea
Bamboo species of the genus Chusquea are mountain clumping bamboos native to the tropics and subtropics of South and Central America. Unlike most other bamboos, the stems of Chusquea species are solid, not hollow.
Dendrocalamus
Bamboo species of the genus Dendrocalamus are large clump-forming subtropical bamboos with large branches and leaves, and are usually tick-walled. Most species prefer high humidity and mountain areas.
Dendrocalamus asper
Dendrocalamus asper also known as Rough Bamboo or Giant Bamboo is a giant tropical and subtropical dense clumping species native to Southeast Asia. This timber bamboo is used as a building material for heavy construction, and shoots are consumed as a vegetable.
Fargesia
Bamboo species of the genus Fargesia are medium to small mountain clumping bamboos, found in the alpine conifer forests of East Asia (China, Vietnam, and Burma). In China they are known as 'jian zhu' (arrow bamboo).
Dendrocalamus brandisii
Dendrocalamus brandisii also known as Velvet Leaf Bamboo, Teddy Bear Bamboo, or Sweet Dragon Bamboo is one of the largest tropical clumping bamboos in the world. It grows native in Southeast Asia and is often used as a building material.