Bambusa textilis 'Kanapaha' Flowering
Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2020 7:43 am
I have been growing multiple clumps of Bambusa textilis 'Kanapapa' for quite a few years. My original plant was obtained from a collector in Texas who received his plant directly from the original clump at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, so I am certain of the identity of my plants.
Beginning about one year ago, I noticed that new culms were not rooting well, and were falling over during the winter. I have never seen B. textilis do this.
Then this summer, my plants produced shoots that were the same size or smaller than the previous year's shoots. A large clump blew over in a storm that was not very severe... again very unusual. I was starting to think something was wrong with my plants!
In my area, B. textilis produces shoots in summer and fall. These shoots do not branch until the following spring. This year, the new shoos mostly produced branches and small leaves in late fall. Something was definitely wrong!
A couple days ago, I went out to look at my plants and made the discovery that my 'Kanapaha' plants were starting to flower. I believe all my clumps are entering a flowering phase, even newer small divisions.
As has been previously discussed on this forum, this clone is PI 80872, originally brought to the United States in 1929.
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal ... id=1118484
I have seen nothing to indicate that this clone has flowered since it was imported, so perhaps it is about time that it flowered! It will be very interesting to see whether the clone survives this event, and whether it produces seed.
Nothing particularly unusual has happened to stress my plants, so I think this is likely a mass flowering of this clone. I do not think that many tropical bamboo growers are active here anymore, but I would be interested to hear whether anyone else is seeing flowering on this clone.
As a side note, I think one benefit of seeing this plant flower is that it will help to answer whether a few similar plants are the same clone or not. If this is a mass flowering event, and these other plants are the same clone as 'Kanapaha', then the plants being traded under other names should flower as well. I have one other form of B. textilis that came from a different source, and I have wondered if it is identical to 'Kanapaha'. Even though it looks visually indistinguishable, it is not showing any signs of flowering so far.
Beginning about one year ago, I noticed that new culms were not rooting well, and were falling over during the winter. I have never seen B. textilis do this.
Then this summer, my plants produced shoots that were the same size or smaller than the previous year's shoots. A large clump blew over in a storm that was not very severe... again very unusual. I was starting to think something was wrong with my plants!
In my area, B. textilis produces shoots in summer and fall. These shoots do not branch until the following spring. This year, the new shoos mostly produced branches and small leaves in late fall. Something was definitely wrong!
A couple days ago, I went out to look at my plants and made the discovery that my 'Kanapaha' plants were starting to flower. I believe all my clumps are entering a flowering phase, even newer small divisions.
As has been previously discussed on this forum, this clone is PI 80872, originally brought to the United States in 1929.
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal ... id=1118484
I have seen nothing to indicate that this clone has flowered since it was imported, so perhaps it is about time that it flowered! It will be very interesting to see whether the clone survives this event, and whether it produces seed.
Nothing particularly unusual has happened to stress my plants, so I think this is likely a mass flowering of this clone. I do not think that many tropical bamboo growers are active here anymore, but I would be interested to hear whether anyone else is seeing flowering on this clone.
As a side note, I think one benefit of seeing this plant flower is that it will help to answer whether a few similar plants are the same clone or not. If this is a mass flowering event, and these other plants are the same clone as 'Kanapaha', then the plants being traded under other names should flower as well. I have one other form of B. textilis that came from a different source, and I have wondered if it is identical to 'Kanapaha'. Even though it looks visually indistinguishable, it is not showing any signs of flowering so far.