About Phyllostachys Bamboo
Phyllostachys bamboo is a group of bamboo species, categorized by genus. There are more than 1400 species of Phyllostachys bamboo worldwide. Bamboo plants are made up of the aboveground shoots, called culms, and underground rhizomes, or roots. Phyllostachys bamboo is known as running bamboo. These species grow runners which send up new culms every year from May to July in a period of rapid growth.
In order to keep prevent escape, bamboo should be planted in seamless containers, or given plenty of room to form an isolated grove away from natural areas (a half an acre or more). Bamboo at the zoo is regularly cut back in order to prevent unwanted spread, and some species even have underground “fencing” which prevents runners from expanding to new areas.
Phyllostachys Bamboo at the Akron Zoo
The zoo's current Phyllostachys collection includes snow bamboo (P. nuda), Bissetti's bamboo (P. bissetii) and black bamboo (P. nigra), all of which can be found in Wild Asia.