Nodding Bamboo, Mai bong
Bambusa nutans
Family: Poaceae
What it is like
Bambusa nutans is a tropical plant found in Southeast Asia that grows up to 6-15 m tall. It is a graceful bamboo that can be used as an ornamental. The shoots of this species are cooked. The culm has various uses, mainly as poles. It is a source of fibre used in making papers in India.
Bambusa nutans is an evergreen Bamboo growing to 12 m (39ft) by 5 m (16ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Wind. 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. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 12
Where it is found
Moist hill slopes and flat uplands in well-drained sandy loam to clayey loam soils at elevations from 700 - 1,500 metres.
E. Asia - India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
Found In: Asia, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Edible portion: Shoots. Shoots - cooked.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 4
Other uses rating: High (4/5). Agroforestry Uses: The plant is sometimes used to provide shelter for tea plantations. Other Uses The culm is good, strong, straight. It is used locally for various purposes, mainly as poles. It is a major source of fibre for the paper industry in India.
Biomass: Provides a large quantity of plant material that can be converted into fuel etc.
Fencing: Plants that can be used for fencing.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.
Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
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.
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.
How it is grown
A plant of the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,600 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28c, but can tolerate 9 - 32c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,300 - 3,000mm, but tolerates 700 - 4,500mm. Succeeds in full sun and in dappled shade. Grows best in a fertile, heavy soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5. Bamboos have an interesting method of growth. Each plant produces a number of new stems annually - these stems grow to their maximum height in their first year of growth, subsequent growth in the stem being limited to the production of new side branches and leaves. In the case of some mature tropical species the new stem could be as much as 30 metres tall, with daily increases in height of 30cm or more during their peak growth time. This makes them some of the fastest-growing species in the world. Bamboos in general are usually monocarpic, living for many years before flowering, then flowering and seeding profusely for a period of 1 - 3 years before usually dying.
Propagating it: Seed
Best place to grow:
Habit: Bamboo
Hardiness: 9-10
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
Nodding Bamboo, Mai bong
Synonyms
Arundarbor nutans (Munro) Kuntze Bambusa crinita Thomson ex Munro Bambusa falconeri Munro