Bamboo Flowering

By Bamboo Grove on February 8, 2019

Depending on the species of bamboo, the plant will have one of three styles of flowering. The first is known as continuous flowering. This kind of flowering occurs in specific species that bloom every year. Although the flowering is anticipated and healthy for the plant, the seeds are rarely viable.

The second is known as sporadic flowering. This style of flowering often occurs in clumps of bamboo in the forest. Sporadic flowering has the most known variables to it. Drought or cold may cause this to happen to specific clumps of bamboo, depending on climate conditions. The sporadic flowering also differs from the third category as it is solely based on local clumps or sections of bamboo; rather than the final type which is based on genetics.

Finally, there is the gregarious flowering style of that occurs between ever 20 and 120 years in the more “woody” bamboo plants. In this style, the bloom happens at the exact same time across the globe, no matter the climate conditions. To have the synchronized flowering, the plants must have been cultivated from the same mother plant. If they from the same mother, these plants will bloom across the world at the exact same time, no matter the climate conditions. Not only is this a rare occurrence, but the phenomenon also baffles scientist. It is known as gregarious flowering. There is little known as to why this mass flowering happens. The only plausible explanation by scientists is that it is a sort of “genetic alarm clock.” And unlike the other styles of flowering, most seeds produced here are viable for plant reproduction.