Himalayacalamus asper

Himalayacalamus asper is a bamboo from Nepal. It is evergreen and keeps its leaves all year. It belongs to Poaceae, the grass family. Kew puts it in the temperate biome, or climate zone. In the wild, it grows in cool forests of broad-leaved trees. These lie about 5,900–7,550 feet [1,800–2,300 metres] above sea level. The RHS gives another name for it: Drepanostachyum asper. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Plants For A Future says it grows fast. It can reach about 20 feet [6 metres]. The species account does not give its full-grown width. It gives no leaf shape or cane colour. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind moves pollen from one flower to the next. The evidence does not say when it blooms. It gives no facts about the fruit. Growers seldom have seed to sow.

The species account says it suits sun or light shade. It can grow in sand, loam or clay. It likes moist soil best. Its stated soil pH range is mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The account lists woodland gardens and shaded edges as sites. It is unclear how well it copes with British cold. Plants For A Future says it withstands frost in its native range. It may grow outdoors in milder parts of Britain. This gives no firm rating for cold hardiness. Nor does it prove the plant will thrive in gardens.

People cut and split older stems to weave baskets and mats. Plants For A Future lists no known food or medicinal use. It lists no known hazards, either. This does not prove it is safe for people or pets. Its weed assessment is negative. Yet the evidence gives no measure of its spread. Many growing notes on the page cover the genus, not this species. They do not show that this species resists pests or disease.

The notes cover how to grow it from seed or divide it in spring. They say to sow ripe seed on the surface under glass. Keep the compost moist while the seeds sprout. Seeds may take one to eight months to sprout at 20–25°C. Grow young plants in light shade before planting them out. When dividing plants, use sections with at least three canes. The notes also say to disturb the parent plant's roots as little as possible.