D. latiflorus
(Taiwan Giant Bamboo)

Max Ht: 70’
Max Diam: 8”
Min Temp: 25 F
Edible: yes, (raw)

One of the most beautiful of the large bamboos, and the major species grown for edible bamboo shoots in China and Taiwan. Its smooth, green, straight culms have long internodes and are leaf-free initially, with masses of huge dark green leaves above. Highly prized for its edible shoots, which can be eaten raw or cooked. An excellent choice for a large-scale shoot plantation or your backyard.

G. atter

Max Ht: 60-70’
Max Diam: 6-8”
Min Temp: 28 F
Edible: yes, sweet

This magnificent bamboo is a classic amongst the larger species. Its erect, straight-culmed, vigorous, and superior timber. Large, light-green leaves are slightly rough-textured. Extensively used for structures, handicrafts, furniture, weaving, etc. Very strong wood, highly recommended.

D. yunnanicus

Max Ht: 80’Max Diam: 7”
Min Temp: ?° F
Edible: yes

This is a new seedling of D. yunnanicus, that has maroon colored, fuzzy culms when the culms are less than 1/2” diameter. Yunnaicus is named from the Yunnan province of China, and is thin-walled and big. This makes it particularly useful for gutters, pipes, rafts, and other situations where a large hole is wanted. Typically it is pale green in color, but we’re not sure what the mature color this seedling will be. This seedling is extremely vigorous. We put one in the ground in spring 2007. It’s growing well and looks like it will be nice and straight.

G. angustifolia(photos of bi-color)

Max Ht: 75’
Max Diam: 8”
Min Temp: 30 F
Edible: no

One of the best and most-beautiful structural bamboos in the world. Very straight, strong, thick-walled, well-spaced, dark-green culms with prominent white bands at each of its closely-spaced nodes. Culms are branchless for 10-25 ft., with vivid, light-green, medium-sized leaves. A thorny bamboo, spectacular when mature. Open-clumping, with culms shooting at 2-3' apart. Very highly recommended.

Less Thorny: Shorter and fewer thorns than the thorny. Most folks plant this Guadua, as the quality of wood is equal to or just less than the thorny, but it's easier to handle.

Thorny: The best wood of all of the available cultivars of Guadua in Hawaii.

Bi-color: As thorny as what is referred to as "thorny," but with gorgeous stripes on the culms. Wow!

D. asper ( Indo) (photo of young clump)
Max Ht: 90’
Max Diam: 8”
Min Temp: 23° F
Edible: delicious

The most-important,
large-diameter
timber bamboo in
Asia, due to its superior-quality wood, delicious shoots, and lack of gregarious flowering. Prized for building structures, furniture-making, and used split for reinforcing in concrete. Huge, relatively straight, furry, gray-green lower culms framed in dense, very-large-leafed upper growth. Very highly recommended.

D. brandisii

Max Ht: 108’
Max Diam: 8”
Min Temp: 22° F
Edible: delicious

This bamboo grows taller than any other bamboo in the
world. It produces large, thick-walled, upright, green culms covered in a velvety-silver bloom of pale hairs. Lower culms are branchless for many yards, followed by masses of very large, light-green leaves. Extensively used for house construction, furniture making, and paper production. A very beautiful and useful bamboo.