Clumping Bamboo. Weaver's bamboo
Bambusa textilis

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

Bambusa textilis is an evergreen Bamboo growing to 8 m (26ft) by 1.5 m (5ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 8

Where it is found

Usually cultivated along rivers and near villages at low altitudes in southern China.

Australasia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Edible Portion: Shoots.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Carbon Farming Solutions - Industrial Crop: biomass (Crops grown for non-food uses. Industrial crops provide resources in three main categories: materials, chemicals, and energy. Traditional materials include lumber and thatch, paper and cardboard, and textiles). Fodder: bank. Other Systems: strip intercrop, multistrata. Good hedging/screening in full sun to part shade. Tolerates rigorous pruning of tops to 1m. Tight footprint to 1m. A good specimen plant. Good for pots.

Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.

Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.

Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.

Straw: For drinking with.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Managed Multistem: Regularly removing some multiple stems. A non-A non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.

Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.

Fodder: Bank: Fodder banks are plantings of high-quality fodder species. Their goal is to maintain healthy productive animals. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry seasons. Fodder bank plants are usually trees or shrubs, and often legumes. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Managed Multistem: Regularly removing some multiple stems. A non-A non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.

Other Systems: Multistrata: Multistrata agroforests feature multiple layers of trees often with herbaceous perennials, annual crops, and livestock.

Other Systems: Strip intercrop: Tree crops grown in rows with alternating annual crops.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Hedge: Hedge

How it is grown

A clumping non-invasive bamboo. Climate: warm temperate to tropical. Humidity: humid. Both hardy and drought resistant once established and tolerates sandy soils, winds and light frosts. Tolerates rigorous pruning of tops to 1m. Tight footprint to 1m. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: minor global crop. Management: managed multistem (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation). .

Propagating it: By dividing the rootball, rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)

Best place to grow:

Habit: Bamboo

Hardiness: 7-11

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Slender Weaver's Bamboo, Weaver's Bamboo

Synonyms

Bambusa annulata W.T.Lin & Z.J.Feng. Bambusa minutiligulata W.T.Lin & Z.M.Wu. Bambusa varioaurita W.T.Lin & Z.J.Feng