Sasamorpha borealis — identification & habitat

Sasamorpha borealis is a short East Asian bamboo that can cover a forest floor with dense, evergreen growth. It spreads mostly through underground stems and may flower across large areas before many stems die back.

Appearance

Growth form: This evergreen bamboo is usually about 3–10 ft (1–3 m) tall and spreads by running .
Leaves: Its long, pointed leaves create a dense layer of foliage close to the forest floor.
Flowers: Its grasslike flowers are easy to miss and appear only at long, irregular intervals. Large flowering events can be followed by widespread dieback.

Look-alikes

giant caneArundinaria gigantea

Giant cane is native to the southeastern United States, often grows in floodplains, and can reach 33 ft (10 m). Sasamorpha borealis is an East Asian forest bamboo that is usually only 3–10 ft (1–3 m) tall.

Why they get mixed upBoth are running, woody bamboos that form dense stands.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: floors of temperate forests
wooded hillsides
Range: It is native to Korea, Japan, and Sakhalin. It is not native to the United States, where it is grown as an ornamental bamboo in the Mid-South.
Preferred conditions: It grows beneath forest canopies and can form broad, dense patches.

Life cycle

Reproduction: Most expansion is through rhizomes. Flowering can produce seeds before many flowering stems die.

Growing it

Propagation: New shoots rise from a spreading underground network of rhizomes.

Name and classification

About the name: It has also been called Sasa borealis.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Threats: In Korean forest surveys, fewer other plant species grew on the forest floor where this bamboo formed dense stands.

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