Moso bamboo, Tortoise-shell bamboo, Hairy bamboo
Phyllostachys edulis

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A running bamboo. It grows 12-22 m high and spreads 9-30 m wide. The culms can be 8-18 cm thick. The stems are velvety grey when young. They become green or yellow with age. The internodes are 40 cm long. There are 2-4 leaves on the last branch. The leaves are 5-12 cm long by 0.5-2 cm wide. The young shoots are edible.

Where it is found

It is a temperate or subtropical plant. It grows on mountain slopes below 1,600 m above sea level. It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 6-10. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Arboretum Tasmania. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China (country/location of origin), Himalayas, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Nepal, North America, Philippines, SE Asia, South America, Taiwan, Tasmania, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The young shoots are cooked and eaten. The cooking water is changed to remove bitterness. They are then eaten alone or in stir-fried dishes or pickled or canned.

The shoots are enjoyed. It is sold in local markets. It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is a cultivated food plant and also canned and exported. It is an important edible bamboo and canned in large amounts.

Edible parts

Shoots, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown by division.

Its other names

Local names

Chiang-nan-chu, Chi chieh chu, Juksundae, Kattabans, Lo han chu, Mao tsoh, Moso, Mosochiku, Russey

Synonyms

Bambusa pubescens Carriere; Phyllostachys heterocycla (Carriere) Mitford; Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex J. Houz.; Phyllostachys pubescens (Carriere) Mazel ex J. Houz.; Phyllostachys pubescens var. heterocycla (Carriere) J. Houz.; Phyllostachys mitis (Lour.) A. et C. Riv. var. heterocycla (Carr.) Makino; Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex H. de Lehaie var. biconvexa Nakai; and others