I'm trying to find a species of giant bamboo, I've been told it's grown by Chinese in the Mae Hong Song area and was wondering if anybody may have seen it. The species can grow up to 15" in diameter and originates in Yunnan, China. Below is a pic, if anybody has info pls PM or post here:

I have seen the giant bamboo used for rafts in Pang Mapha and when I asked about it, I was told that it grows nearby. Pang Mapha is just over the mountain from Pai on the road to Mae Hong Son.

The seeds are available online. I planted some a couple of years ago as a barrier, but it is taking its time to grow beyond the wispy stage!

The seeds are available online. I planted some a couple of years ago as a barrier, but it is taking its time to grow beyond the wispy stage!

Can you pls tell me the name of the species you bought? Bamboo is fast growing, so it shouldn't take too long.

It was Dendrocalamus giganteus. It just takes a while to get established and build a root system before it shoots skyward.

It was Dendrocalamus giganteus. It just takes a while to get established and build a root system before it shoots skyward.

The variety pictured is Dendrocalamus sinicus, supposedly the largest in the world. Now searching the web I see pics of huge Dendrocalamus giganteus growing in Phuping gardens and it looks very similar to pics of sinicus. There's also websites saying giganteus is the largest variety in the world, so I was wondering if it's the same variety but with different names, although there's also websites listing them as separate species. Now I'm quite confused!

Do you have an interest in bamboo? If you know a little more about Dendrocalamus giganteus could you pls post some info. Thanks!

Maybe try asking at Queen Sirikit botanical gardens.

I have some called Mai Sang (Thai name) its very tall but this looks much bigger.

More details for you here:

Bamboo

I'm interested in it too so any more info pls PM me.

If I was looking for info on anything around Mae Hong Song I would contact John Spies who owns the

Cave Lodge resort...he had been in in the area for over 20 something years and is an expert on the caves

in the area..I'm sure he would know all about the locations of flora and fauna in the area. Here is a link to

his web site..

Cave Lodge

We saw huge bamboo, on the visits we have made to the lodge, not sure if it was that big though..