CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS

College of Engineering and Architecture

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Available Bamboos In The Philippines

Some of the most commercially significant bamboo species being grown in the Philippines are
Bambusa blumeana, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendroclamus strictus, and Guadua angustifolia.

Bambusa Blumeana

Tropical clumping bamboo Bambusa blumeana, often called Spiny Bamboo or Thorny
Bamboo, is a native of Indonesia and Malaysia. This kind of bamboo produces edible, vegetable-
like shoots.

Culms
Bambusa blumeana is a thorny bamboo with slightly arching green culms of 15-25 m
tall. The internodes are 25-35 cm long, with 8-15 cm in diameter and an average wall thickness
of 2-3 cm. At the base of the culms, wall thickness is mostly solid, especially in dry areas or poor
soils. Lower culm nodes show a ring of aerial roots, with a gray or brown ring below and above
the sheath scar.
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Branches
Branches usually occur from the middle of the culm to the top, and have several to
many clustered branches with 1-3 larger dominant branches that are markedly longer and
thicker. Branches from the lower nodes are solitaire and densely interwoven with tough, sharp,
curved thorns.

Leaves
Leaves are lance-shaped and on average 10-20 cm long and 12-25 mm wide.

Habitat
This bamboo species grows in humid or dry tropical areas along river banks, hill slopes,
and freshwater creeks. It often occurs at low or moderate altitudes, usually up to 300 m (in
Taiwan up to 1,000 m). On heavy or poor soils Bambusa blumeana develops near solid stems (at
the base), and can tolerate flooding. The species prefers a low pH (5 - 6.5), heavy saline soils are
not suitable.

Uses
Culms are used in construction, parquets, basketry, furniture, concrete reinforcements,
kitchen utensils, handicrafts, chopsticks, hats and toys. Bambusa blumeana is also used as fuel if
wood is scarce, as a raw material for paperpulp, and its edible shoots are consumed as a
vegetable. This bamboo species also has great potential for the rehabilitation of marginal lands
and can be used to border agricultural areas as living fences, as a windbreak, or to prevent
erosion along streams.

Height - 15 - 25 m

Diameter - 8 - 15 cm

Growth Habit -Dense Clumping

Climate - Tropical - Subtropical

Hardiness - -1°C

Origin - Indonesia – Malaysia

 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Dendrocalamus Asper

Southeast Asia is the original home of the enormous tropical and subtropical dense
clumping species known as Dendrocalamus asper, sometimes referred to as Rough Bamboo or
Giant Bamboo. The shoots of this bamboo are eaten as vegetables, while the lumber is utilized
for heavy construction.

Culms
Dendrocalamus asper has large woody culms between 15-30 m tall and 8-20 cm in
diameter, and has relatively thick walls (11-20 mm) which become thinner towards the top of
the culm. The lower culms show aerial roots (rootlets) from the nodes. Culm internodes are 40-
50 cm long, pale green and covered with short brown hairs.

Branches
Many clustered branches with 1 larger central dominant branch usually occur from ca.
9th node up.

Leaves
Leaf-blades are lance-shaped and between 15–30 cm long and 10–25 mm wide.
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Seeds
Flowering cycle and seed-setting is reported to be about every 30-120
years. Dendrocalamus asper flowers gregariously although sporadic flowering has been
reported.

Habitat
Planted or naturalized from low elevations up to 1,500 m. Dendrocalamus asper thrives
best at 400-500 m altitude in areas with average annual rainfall of about 2,400 mm. They grow
well on various soil types, even on sandy and rather acidic soils, but prefers well-drained heavy
soils.

Uses
Dendrocalamus asper poles are used as a building material and structural timber for
heavy construction such as houses and bridges. The culm internodes used as containers for
water and other fluids, and as cooking pots. This bamboo is also used for making laminated
boards, furniture, musical instruments, chopsticks, household utensils and handicrafts. Young
shoots are sweet and considered a delicious vegetable.

Height - 15 - 30 m

Diameter - 8 - 20 cm

Growth Habit - Dense Clumping

Climate - Tropical - Subtropical

Hardiness - -4°C

Edibility (4 of 5)

Flowering Cycle - 30-120 years

Origin - Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Dendroclamus strictus

Dendrocalamus strictus also known as Male Bamboo, Solid Bamboo or Calcutta

Bamboo is a tropical and subtropical clumping species native to Southeast Asia. This bamboo is
extensively used as a raw material in paper mills and has edible shoots.

Culms
Dendrocalamus strictus is a medium-sized bamboo with culms of 8-20 m tall and 2.5-8
cm in diameter.
Branches
Many clustered branches with 1 larger dominant branch. The lower nodes often have
branches.
Leaves
Leaf size varies between 5-25 cm long and 1-3 cm broad.
Flowering
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Gregarious flowering cycle varies from 25-45 years, with intensive sporadic flowering for
2-3 years and sporadic flowering almost every year.
Habitat
Dendrocalamus strictus is found in semi dry and dry deciduous forests, growing on hill
slopes, ravines and alluvial plains from sea level up to 1,200 m. It prefers low relative humidity
and mean annual temperatures between 20°C-30°C, with optimum annual rainfall of 1,000-
3,000 mm.
Uses
Dendrocalamus strictus is used for a variety of purposes, including raw material, food,
forage, and medicine.
Origin
Bamboo is native to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and other Southeast
Asian countries.

Height - 8 - 20 m
Diameter - 2.5 - 8 cm
Growth Habit - Clumping
Climate - Tropical Subtropical
Hardiness - -5 °C
Origin - Southeast Asia
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Guadua Angustifolia

Guadua angustifolia 'Kunth' is a tropical wood bamboo native to South America. It is

ranked third in size and is said to be the world's strongest bamboo. Kunth classified it as a
separate genus from the Asian Bambusa in 1822, using the indigenous term "angustifolia". It is
a priority species that provides exceptionally high-quality wood. Common names include
American Narrow-Leaved Bamboo, Colombian Giant Thorny, and Colombian Timber Bamboo.

Rhizomes
Guadua angustifolia is a spreading bamboo with rhizomes that can reach lengths of 1 to
2,5 m. It has a distinguishable front and rear part, which generates new rhizomes that either
anchor and support the aerial part of the plant or produce new shoots/culms. Each rhizome can
produce up to 4 new culms within its reproductive period of 4 years. All new culms have similar
or greater diameter and length characteristics than the plant they were generated from.
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

Roots
Guadua angustifolia roots grow vertically and horizontally, reaching depths of up to 2.5
m, but do not necessarily need deep soils to develop.
Culms
Guadua angustifolia is the 3rd largest bamboo species in the world. It takes 6-8 years to
produce average size culms, but 12 cm diameter culms could start to appear in the 4th year. It
has thick white bands around the nodes, which gradually lose their color as the culm matures.
Young culms have an intense green color due to chlorophyll, and internodes are hollow with an
average wall thickness of 1,3 cm. A 20 m tall culm has 75 internodes, divided into 4 parts: the
first section with 18 internodes with an average length of 22 cm, the second section with 18
internodes with an average length of 34 cm, the third section with 18 internodes with an
average length of 37 cm, and the fourth section with 21 internodes with an average length of
14 cm.
Branches
Guadua angustifolia has two types of branches: basal and apical. Basal branches are
located in the first quarter of the culm and consist of 1 single thorny branch on every other
node. Apical branches develop from the middle part of the culm and consist of 1 single branch
on every other node, gradually shortening their length towards the apex.

Leaves
Guadua angustifolia leaves are lance-shaped and on average 13-21 cm long by 14-32
mm wide. They are smooth on the upper surface and present whitish hairs on the underside.

In an adult culm there are between 14.000 and 20.000 leaves that generate a foliar area of
approximately 53,5 m².

Habitat

Guadua angustifolia grows best in humid lower montane and subtropical forests, with
average temperatures between 20 and 26 °C, altitudes between 900 and 1600 meters, annual
rainfall between 2000 and 2500 mm, and relative humidity of 75-85%.

Uses
Guadua angustifolia is a popular bamboo species for construction related applications,
such as prefabricated structures, social housing projects, urban construction, and sturdy
bridges. It is also used for building rural bridges, fence posts, rural water supply systems, sheds,
 CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY- CARIG CAMPUS
College of Engineering and Architecture
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

poultry and cattle pens, erosion barriers, greenhouses, and as plant support sticks. It is also a
popular raw material for making furniture and crafts, as well as high quality products that can
be sold to national and international markets.

Origin
The species Guadua angustifolia is native to Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, but has
been successfully introduced in many other American and Asian countries.