Chusquea culeou
| Chusquea culeou | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 16' |
| Width: | 8' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Chusquea culeou (common name: culeu)
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. Very difficult[1]. Take divisions with at least four 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[1].
Basal cane cuttings.
Cultivation: Prefers a damp humus rich soil[1]. Prefers an open loam of reasonable quality, doing well on peat[2]. Likes plenty of moisture in the growing season[2]. Established plants are drought tolerant[3][4][5]. They require a position sheltered from cold north and east winds[2][1].
A very hardy plant[3][4], tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[1]. Another report says that the plant is probably only hardy in the milder areas of the country[6]. It succeeds outdoors at Edinburgh Botanical Gardens[5] and is growing well at Kew[K]. This species is found further south in the world than any other species of bamboo, it grows in Chile as far south as latitude 47°south[5].
The rootstock is caespitose, new shoots are produced from late April and can grow 15cm overnight[3].
Plants take 2 - 3 years to settle down after being moved but are then quite fast growing[4]. Another report says that they are slow growing[7].
This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[1].
Plants flower and produce seed annually in the wild without dying as a result of the flowering[4]. Plants of the cultivar 'Tenuis' have been observed to be flowering in 1994, this is the first record of this species flowering in the northern hemisphere[8].
Range: S. America - Argentina, Chile.
Habitat: Montane woodlands in the Andes[4].
Edibility: Young shoots - cooked[3][9].
Usage: The canes are used in making musical instruments, plain furniture and fencing[10].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: C. andina. C. breviglumis.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lawson, Alexander. Bamboos. Faber, 1968.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Grounds, Roger. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm, 1989.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Farrelly, David. The Book of Bamboo. Sierra Club, 1984.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Matthews, Victoria. The New Plantsman Volume 1. Royal Horticultural Society, 1994.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Reiche, Karl. Flora de Chile.