PUSHING THE BORDERS

A few weeks ago I noticed a few of the newer stems on my clump were flowering and just put it down to stress after the long dry spell. It is now beginning to look like a full flowering episode.
A brief search online reveals that for some this bamboo started flowering last year. Notably, Jimi Blake at Hunting Brook gardens in Ireland posted on Instagram that his specimen was in flower and judging by the responses to his post, many other growers are expoeriencing the same.
Any of you guys and gals experiencing this event in their garden?

Yes mine started flowering last year, its one of the worst named plants out there as it never looks a beauty and always looks a mess!

Mine seems to be throwing up new stems with gay abandon so no sure if it will flower itself to death, also Phyllostachys nigra has also been flowering for the last 3 years but still not showing any sign of dying back Mike Bell was not sure whether they will pull through or not

Speaking of Bamboo seed anyone interested in a seedling Chusquea gigantea? that did die after flowering but we had babies coming up all over the shop potted a couple up for David M of GOTE fame but he sadly died before I could get them to him. I think we have pretty much decided not to replace ours !

I know what you mean about it's looks, like yours, mine has never looked as good as the picture in Mike Bell's book.

I think that my days of planting new bamboos in the garden are over, I'm still digging out lumps of the Phyllostachys nigra 'Henonis' that flowered a couple of years ago.

Bamboo flowering is odd, isn't it. Like everyone else in the world growing Chusquea gigantea, mine was done and dusted inside two years. Ditto my favourite in the garden, Fargesia angustissima - I had two of these - one had been established 20 years, one a small plant, both flowered themselves to death inside of a year. But I have a Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis' that has been partially flowering for 15 years and still not showing signs of dying.

Overall this has been my worst year ever for bamboos. I have a couple that in previous years have proved to be totally impervious to drought and heat but even they have suffered - for example I have never watered my Fargesia robusta and it has always been fine but not happy this year. Then again, all my Aucuba plants are wilting, so they are not alone.

I suppose a total of just 235mm of rain so far this year can do that. :shock:

Paul S wrote: ↑Fri Sep 26, 2025 7:28 am

I suppose a total of just 235mm of rain so far this year can do that. :shock:

We have been known to get that over a weekend! :lol:

I had a nice but small collection of bamboo in my big garden. Really loved them. Having read the Pan Global description of Kew Beauty and then these reports, it seems to hardly be the same plant!
I don’t often recommend things because then people can’t blame you if things go wrong but I bought this bamboo a few years ago and it has behaved beautifully making a very dense but very neat clump. It’s no more than 3 metres tall but makes a nice statement in my small garden.

Thatr's a form of Fargesia nitida - a well-behaved clumper and can tolerate drier conditions. I have one here that never gets extra water. Looks shit this year because it has been exceptional but usually does OK.

Paul you need to get the hose out occasionally. :D

John

That isn't really the point of what I am aiming for in my garden, though, John. My entire gardening philosophy is trying to find plants that are low rainfall tolerant so that I actually don't have to do that very thing. Years like this one make that impossible but I limit it to what is strictly necessary for new plantings - ironically I have planted more drought tolerant things this year that have needed watering until they have established.

Paul your policy works a treat, your garden looks superb. I was only teasing.

John