Herb: Kuma-Zasa


Latin name: Sasa veitchii


Synonyms: Bambusa veitchii, Sasa albomarginata


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Kuma-Zasa:

Young shoots - cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Bamboo

Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Woodlands and damp hollows, C. and S. Japan.

Other uses of Kuma-Zasa:

A good medium high ground cover plant, it is a very good weed suppresser. Plants can be used as a low loose hedge.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - if possible, surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°C. Stored seed is best sown as soon as it is received. 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. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse until large enough to plant out, which could be a few years. Plants only flower at intervals of several years and so seed is rarely available. Division in late spring as new growth commences. Take large divisions, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main clump 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. Divisions of less than 5 - 6 culms rarely succeed.

Cultivation of Kuma-Zasa:

Woodlands and damp hollows, C. and S. Japan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Sasa veitchii:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.