| Name |
Bambusa
Metake - Pseudosasa Japonica |
| Cultivation |
This
is one of the easiest bamboo plants to grow in the UK and Ireland.
The flowers are hermaphrodite
(has both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. The plant
prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained
soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral
and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade
(light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil. The plant can
also tolerate maritime exposure. A very ornamental plant, it is said to
be the hardiest bamboo, tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c and
sometimes as low as -24°c. |
| Family |
Gramineae |
| Genus |
Pseudosasa |
| Synonyms |
Arundinaria
japonica - Siebold.&Zucc. ex Steud.
Bambusa metake - Siebold. |
| Known
Hazards |
None
known |
| Range |
E.
Asia - Japan. Frequently naturalized in Britain. |
| Height |
An
evergreen Bamboo growing to 4.5m by 3m. |
| Habitat |
Woodland
and damp places, forming thickets in open country, C. and S. Japan.
Woodland Garden; Sunny
Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Deep Shade; Hedge; Bog Garden |
| Characteristics |
It
is hardy to zone 6. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite
(has both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Wind. The plant
prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained
soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral
and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade
(light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist or wet soil. The plant can
tolerate maritime exposure. |
| Edible
Uses |
Edible
Parts: Seed;
Stem.
Young shoots - cooked.
Harvested in the late spring when about 8 - 10cm above ground level, cutting
the stems 5cm or more below soil level. They have a rather bitter flavour.
Seed - used as a cereal.
Small quantities of seed are produced in many years but it is seldom viable. |
| Medicinal
Uses |
Anthelmintic;
Antivinous;
Stimulant;
Tonic |
| Other
Uses |
Hedge;
Plant
support; Soil
stabilization.
Plants can be grown
along the river edge to protect the banks from erosion. Canes are fairly
thin walled but make very good plant supports. Smaller canes can be plaited
together and used as screens or as lathes for walls and ceilings. Tolerant
of maritime exposure, it can be grown as a screen or windbreak hedge in
very exposed positions. The culms make an excellent wind filter, slowing
its speed without creating turbulence. The leaves may look somewhat tattered
by the end of the winter but plants will soon produce new leaves. |
| Propagation |
Seed
- if possible, surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse
at about 20°c. Stored seed is best sown as soon as it is obtained. Do not
allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly
so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months.
Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow them
on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until they are large enough
to plant out, which might take a few years. Plants only flower at intervals
of several years and so seed is rarely available. Division in late spring
as new growth commences. Very easy, single canes of the current years growth
can be used. Pot them up in light shade in a greenhouse. Make sure the foliage
is not allowed to dry out - misting 2 - 3 times a day for the first couple
of weeks following division can be very helpful. Plant out in the summer
once they are growing away strongly. Cane layering in May. Detach individual
canes and lay them horizontally in trenches 15cm deep. New shoots should
arise from each joint. Rhizome cuttings. |
| Cultivars |
There
are a few named forms, selected for their ornamental value. Since we know
of no forms that have been selected for their useful properties, we have
not listed any cultivars here and in general, unless you require the specific
ornamental properties of a cultivar, we recommend you grow the species rather
than any cultivars. |