Phyllostachys Edulis ‘Moso’

Moso bamboo is now becoming one of the trending living fences in many landscapes. Plus more surprising benefits!

Quick Facts

• Common name: Moso
• Botanical name: Phyllostachys Edulis 
• Type: Running 
• Average height: 30-90 feet (9-27 m)
• Average diameter: 4-7 inches (10-18 cm)
• Hardiness: 0°F (-18°C)
• USDA zones: 7 to 10
• UK Hardiness Zones: H6-H2
• Light requirements: Full sun to partial sun
• Best use: Hedge, construction, culinary, textile, soil erosion

What are the characteristics of Phyllostachys Edulis?

Moso bamboo is a commonly grown bamboo in China and Japan mostly for industrial purposes. It is produced in huge farms and harvested to make diverse products. Some of them are for timber, furniture, fencing, construction, paper, flooring, musical instruments, and sturdy fishing poles. This bamboo has numerous aesthetic features while continuing to be environmentally renewable.

The name Moso came from the Chinese words “Mao Zhu“. It means hairy bamboo. The culms are coated with very fine and velvety hair. The branches are covered with extensive amounts of small narrow fine leaves.

Moso is a rhizomatous species of bamboo. You can expect it to grow 60 feet (18.2 m) to even 90 feet tall (27.4 m). They only grow very tall in favorable conditions like the Southeastern part of the United States. It is so big that it is often mistaken as a hardwood tree. Moso is considered the largest and possibly the most ornamentally charming of all species. 

What are the benefits of Moso bamboos?

It is commercially grown in forests for a bountiful harvest of wood and edible shoots.

Moso bamboos are famous for its edible shoots. They are eaten by the locals or even canned for export. The shoots that are harvested for culinary purposes are best gathered before they rupture the soil surface. But most of the time, they are generally collected after appearing from the ground but before they reach 12 inches (30.4 cm).

This species is great background displays for large landscapes. Developed bamboos have ornamental leaves and a graceful swaying habit.

It is also beneficial on hills for resisting soil erosion.

Moso can develop more than 3 feet (0.9 m) every day. It can generate nearly 20 times more wood than trees and expects no continuous fertilization. It is a valuable wood but it remains affordable because of its rapid growth. 

Bamboo Fiber is one of the most renewable fibers discovered in nature. The fiber is naturally antifungal, hypoallergenic and includes bamboo-kun, a very powerful antibacterial factor. Its fiber continues to smell fresh, gentle, and maintains a natural shine.

How to take care of Moso bamboos?

Managing bamboo is not that hard. It only needs a bit of proper care and routine check-ups to assure that they are growing healthy. Always eliminate weak, worn, and dead culms. Cut them off from its base.

A healthy mulch at the time of planting (combined with straw and grass cuttings) is greatly suggested. It can be a combination of straw, grass and even its fallen leaves. It keeps the ground soil cool, moist, and guards the root system of growing plant mothers. It also improves the growth of rhizomes.