Permaculturing in Portugal

One family's attempts to live in a more planet-friendly way

Bamboos

If the potatoes are behaving as if they’re on steroids, you can almost see the bamboo growing. In the area where I harvested a lot of canes to build supports for the peas, beans and tomatoes, the bamboo has suddenly begun to sprout in earnest. One minute there’s nothing there, the next there’s a half meter tall shoot emerging. The tallest of the new shoots have grown something like 2m inside 2 weeks.

Bamboo shoots - Phyllostachys sp.

Bamboo shoots - Phyllostachys sp.

The bamboo growing on the bottom terrace appears to be of the Phyllostachys species. I don’t know precisely which. We recently visited the Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Coimbra where there is over a hectare of Phyllostachys bambusoides growing to 15-20m in height. I couldn’t help noticing that the young shoots of this bamboo as they emerge are identical to ours …

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2 Comments

  1. Pedro Pereira April 26, 2011

    They are very good to eat (only the sprouts) :-).
    Just boil them, then mix with other food you like ;-)

  2. Julia Michell February 10, 2022

    My daughter just gifted me 4 stems of lucky bamboo which I’ve planted in pots.

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