I've read that after a grove of bamboo flowers, it dies. I discovered today that our "grove" (small clump) of Blue Fountain bamboo is flowering. And it does look like it's dying. The green leaves in the picture are on a different bamboo right next to it, arrow bamboo.
The Indianapolis Zoo has a short article about their blue fountain bamboo:
"In the space of just a few years, every specimen of blue fountain bamboo will flower and most likely die. This is the first time this species has flowered since seed was brought from China to Europe in about 1886.
The Indianapolis Zoo has a short article about their blue fountain bamboo: "In the space of just a few years, every specimen of blue fountain bamboo will flower and most likely die. This is the first time this species has flowered since seed was brought from China to Europe in about 1886.
"Bamboo is known to exhibit gregarious
flowering. All individuals of a species flower at about the same time.
Reports of flowering of blue fountain bamboo began several years ago
and are likely to continue for several more years. Individual plants
flower for several months, perhaps even for a second year.
"Based on the history of this plant -
seed was sent to Europe about 1886, flowering began in the 1990s - we
can expect blue fountain bamboo to flower next in about 2100."
The good news is the next generation of seedlings are vigorous and great to grow. Since, in most cases, the germplasm brought to the USA and introduced into horticultural is based on one or two plants it may be all from the same genepool. One can theorize that as this genepool is spread throughout, say-Europe and the USA, when flowering does occur it will be gregarious. However, in the home habitat of Asia or Latin America the genepool may be more varied allowing for sporadic flowering. There is much will still don't know about the many bamboo spcies and their flowering cycles and havbits.