Pachymorph boo to ID (Bambusa oldhamii)

[ShmuBamboo]

OK, here is a boo that I cannot ID. Growing on the California coast, maybe 10 years old, pachymorph rhizomes (clumper). Looks to be 22-25 ft tall. Culms almost as wide as a credit card turned on its side. Multiple branches from a single node. Sheaths come off toward a center pont at the eye bud, then fall off. Here are some photos...

[Mark Meckes]

I believe this is Bambusa oldhamii (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=505) (pics at the Gallery Bamboo Flora)

ID clues from pics shown...
- Clumping characteristic
- Appearance of the culms surfacing from ground level
- Leaf size
- Culm size, partial glaucous/powdered surface coating
- Branching habit

Mark

[ShmuBamboo]

Bambusa oldhamii... Yah, I think you are right on. I figured it was a giant timber bamboo, not the Giant Timber bamboo. I now have a few budding culm node rhizomes off of it. Dunno if they will grow well in my climate, nor if these cuttings will take, but what the heck. Another boo for my growing collection!

[Mark Meckes]

Yep, I've always thought Giant Timber Bamboo was a silly common name to attribute to Bambusa oldhamii when there are so many other truly giant boos more suited to this name.

I will however offer a lame reason, that to date it is the largest diameter (3" so far) boo that we have growing on our central Texas property.
Being an "old timer" species introduction into the US long ago, this was probably the same reason someone gave it this common name, (when other species weren't readily available).

For us in Austin, and depending on microclimates, or how near you're living to the heat generated from city life, and depending on the severity of winters, and providing we get only a few days below 20F, ours remains green from half to 3/4 height, seldom or sparsely the full culm height.

The problem is, being a summer shooter, and if the summers are dry, it may not begin sending up the big'uns till July-August-September.

This year with abundant spring/early summer rainfall, ours started shooting in full force starting in June, so it is rising sky high now and it's branches should leaf out sufficiently and harden before winter arrives.

One thing, if tops die back, and it is planted somewhere with some protection from wind chill, and the lower half of the culms survive, and the buds on the culm internode remain viable, they make excellent easy to rooting/cutting material. If done in the spring when the weather warms, they can become rooted and send up finger thick shoots by mid summer.
It also makes a nice container boo, having lots of foliage.

We had our first harvest of tasty shoots this year which I must post about soon.

Mark

[ShmuBamboo]

Yah, I now have 3 boos that are going to have to be moved next to the house in winter... Alphonse Karr, Candy Stripe, and Giant Timber. Hmmm... giant timber. Well, we have Doug fir trees here that are giant timber. ;)