Bamboos bloom at intervals of approximately 80 to 130 years. Who or what triggers these intervals is a mystery. It is known that the flowering costs the bamboo so much energy that it usually dies afterwards.
When buying bamboo, how do I find a plant that is far from blooming?
Bamboo blooms in rare intervals of around 80 to 130 years and usually dies afterwards. To ensure that the plant does not bloom soon when buying bamboo, it is recommended to buy certified plants or new varieties from specialist companies that are bloom-proof for at least 60 to 80 years.
Good to know when buying bamboo: When does the plant bloom?
When buying bamboo, how can you tell that the plants are not going to bloom soon? Fargesia murielae, the garden bamboo, bloomed in the mid-1990s. All other Fargesia varieties were in bloom for plus or minus ten years during the same period. This means that the bamboo plants you buy today are from the new generation and are guaranteed to bloom for the next 60 to 80 years! There are also exceptions:
- Pleioblastus
- Phyllostachys
These types of bamboo bloom more often and do not die straight away. With pruning (€449.00 on Amazon) and special fertilizer, you can get them to sprout again after flowering. The fact is: Bamboo blooms every few decades.
Why does every type of bamboo bloom almost at the same time
Scientists suspect a kind of internal clock in plant genes. In addition, the individual types of bamboo were created through root division and have the same origin.
Why does bamboo die after flowering?
Cluster-forming rhizomes do not store as many nutrients as the root-forming phyllostachys. Flowering costs the plants a lot of energy and nutrients. These are then missing for growth.
What to do when the bamboo blooms?
The bamboo blooms, spreads its seeds and dies. You can't stop it. Enjoy the rare blossom spectacle. The new generation can be bred again from this seed. Then you can be sure that the flowering will take a break for at least two generations.
Tips & Tricks
Buy certified plants or new varieties from a specialist company if you don't want to experience any surprises with the flowering guarantee. You should be careful with laboratory propagation and the origin of the bamboo plants is not certain.