Bambusa oldhamii
Common name: Oldham's bamboo · Giant timber bamboo
Bambusa oldhamii is a giant clumping bamboo native to Taiwan, prized for its tall, straight, thick-walled green culms that rise in a tidy, fountain-like clump. One of the largest tropical bamboos in cultivation, it can exceed 15 m in warm climates yet stays non-invasive thanks to its clumping (sympodial) rhizomes. It is widely grown as a fast privacy screen, windbreak, and specimen plant, and its young shoots are edible and mildly sweet. It tolerates more cold and drought than most tropical bamboos, making it a favorite in subtropical gardens.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Water
Water deeply and regularly while establishing; moderately drought-tolerant once mature
Soil
Deep, fertile, well-drained loam; tolerates a range of soils
Hardiness
Zones 9–11
Mature height
12–20 m (40–65 ft)
Pet safe
Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
By division of established clumps or culm cuttings
Fun facts
- Its young shoots are edible and considered some of the mildest, least bitter of any bamboo, needing little pre-boiling.
- Despite being a tropical clumper, it survives brief dips to about -6 C (20 F), colder than most Bambusa species.
- New culms can rocket to full height in a single growing season, then take several years to thicken and harden.
- It was introduced to Western horticulture in the 1860s and named for British plant collector Richard Oldham.