Common Name:

General Information

Drepanostachyum intermedium is an evergreen, clump-forming bamboo with erect woody stems around 250 - 400cm tall and 10 - 20mm in diameter[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials. It is also cultivated around farmland, where it serves to stabilize the soil and provide material for basketry etc[]. The plant is also grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Himalayas from Nepal, Bhutan to northeast India

Habitat

Open rocky ground; at elevations from 1,000 - 2,000metres[]. Evergreen oak and chestnut forests[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Bamboo
Height	3.50 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Drepanostachyum intermedium is only reliably cold-hardy in the milder areas of the temperate zone[, , , ].
Bamboos generally grow best in a well-drained, open loam of reasonable quality with plenty of moisture in the growing season[]. This species can survive on drier sites than many other bamboos[]. Requires a position sheltered from cold or strong winds[].
Bamboos have an interesting method of growth. Each plant produces a number of new stems annually - these stems grow to their maximum height in their first year of growth, with subsequent growth in the stem being limited to the production of new side branches and leaves.
Temperate bamboo species usually grow for many years without flowering. When they do finally flower, they do so profusely over a period of 1 - 3 years and will often then die, probably from exhaustion. Some species, if given plenty of organic matter at this time will gradually recover, although they will look rather poorly for a year or three. If fed with artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely to die[].
The rootstock is caespitose, new shoots are produced from late spring to early summer[].
This species produces a large number of new shoots each year.
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants are grown around fields and on terraces, where it is an effective soil stabilizer[].

Other Uses

The canes are used for construction, weaving mats, basket making, walking sticks etc[, ]. They are thin-walled, can be 250 - 400cm long, 10 - 12mm in diameter with internodes around 12 - 25cm long. The canes are not very straight, which is a disadvantage in basket making, but the plant is easy to propagate and very productive of new stems, and so is commonly used within its range[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°c. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Grow on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out. Seed is rarely available.
Division in spring as new growth commences is very easy because the rhizomes are easy to extract[]. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more[].
Basal cane cuttings.