Gigantochloa hasskarliana

Gigantochloa hasskarliana is an evergreen bamboo in the grass family, Poaceae. Its common names include Awi Tela and Tela. Kew gives its native range as Indo-China to western Malesia and Bali. Other records place it in Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan. People grow it for food, canes, and hedges. They also gather useful parts from wild plants.

This perennial forms tight clumps from short rhizomes. Its upright, woody stems, called culms, bend slightly at their tips. Descriptions give culm heights of 16–20 feet [5–6 metres]. Garden listings give an upper height of 33 feet [10 metres]. The listed spread reaches about 16 feet [5 metres]. The thin-walled canes measure about 1.2–2 inches across their bases. Long, narrow leaves have a sword-like shape. Dense foliage and slightly drooping stems give the clump a soft outline. Both plant references describe its growth as fast.

This bamboo comes from warm, wet tropical areas. It grows in lowland sites and lower mountain forests in Java. Records extend to about 4,920 feet [1,500 metres] above sea level. It favours humid air and often grows in light shade. In gardens, it can take partial shade or full sun. It needs moist soil with good drainage. Sandy, loamy, and clay soils all suit it. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 10–12.

Dense clumps make this species useful for tall hedges and screens. Growers also plant it on steep ground to help limit erosion. Craftspeople use the canes to weave baskets. Gardeners can raise plants from seed, divisions, or culm cuttings. Culm cuttings serve for new hedges and erosion-control plantings. The supplied accounts give no species-specific flowering season or fruit details. They also name no particular pests or diseases.

People cook the young shoots and tender stems for food. They serve them with rice or add them to soups and stews. Indonesian cooks value their sweet taste. The sources report no known hazards, but do not establish raw-shoot safety. They record no medicinal use. One source also warns of a naming error in Thailand. A bamboo there has carried this name but belongs to another species. Its traits should not guide identification or care of this plant.