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This is a genus of around 120 species of clump-forming bamboos found
in tropical and subtropical Asia.
Many are very large, up to 80 ft (24 m) tall or even more, with
strong, woody, hollow stems. In their native lands they are put to
all sorts of uses, especially in construction, including
scaffolding, and for piping and fencing.
The upper parts of the stems are often arching, and branch at the
nodes into wiry branchlets with masses of grass-like leaves.
The flowers are rather insignificant, often half-hidden among the
foliage on slender, arching panicles which are usually produced
rather intermittently.
Bambusa species have the advantage over some other bamboos of having
short rather than long-running rhizomes and so are much less
invasive.
Some of the most popular ornamental bamboos in this genus are
cultivars with striped variegation of the stems or leaves.
Cultivation: They are best grown in warm-temperate to tropical
climates with moist, humid conditions and deep, humus-rich soil.
Plant young bambusas in part-shade.
Propagate by division in spring.
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