Bambusa tuldoides 'Ventricosa' - Buddha Belly Bamboo
Habit and Cultural Information
Category : Bamboo
Family : Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grasses)
Origin : Asia, South (Asia)
Flower Color : Green
Bloomtime : Not Significant
Evergreen : Yes
Height : 25-40 feet
Width : Clumping
Exposure : Full Sun
Irrigation Req. : Medium Water Needs
Bamboo plants are in fact grasses and fall into this family along with wheat and turf species. Classification is difficult because bamboos flower so rarely, so many of these plants share a convoluted ancestry in the botanical references. The genus is a large one, classified by German botanist Johan von Schreber around 1800. About 100 species are spread through tropical and subtropical regions of Asia anywhere it is a commercial crop. This species is native to China and Taiwan where it is cultivated for timber.