Bamboo flowers even bear fruit – but not everyone has the chance to witness this “once in a century” flower.
Bamboo Flower – A Bloom That Happens Once in a Lifetime
People in Vietnam are perhaps too familiar with the image of tall bamboo groves in the countryside. However, not everyone, especially those who have lived in the city since childhood, knows that bamboo blooms, and even bears fruit.
Bamboo Flower – The “Once in a Century” Bloom
Bamboo is a common name for a group of plants in the grass family. There are about 1,200 species of bamboo worldwide, all of which have some of the fastest growth rates among woody plants.
While other plants may take decades to reach a large size, bamboo only requires about five years.
Despite its rapid growth, bamboo only flowers once in a span of 60 to 100 years – a period equivalent to a human lifetime.
Bamboo flowers typically bloom in clusters and are light yellow in color. However, the color of bamboo flowers can vary depending on the species. Bamboo flowers can also bear fruit, which is known as “bamboo rice”.
Bamboo Flower – A Bloom That Happens Only Once in a Lifetime.
However, when bamboo flowers and bears fruit, it also marks the final moment for this plant, as it will quickly wither away and cannot regenerate.
The cause of this phenomenon remains unexplained, but one hypothesis suggests that the flowering process requires a tremendous amount of energy, preventing the plant from surviving after blooming.
Others believe this is a natural behavior of the plant: mature bamboo makes way for younger plants to grow.
Not only does it bloom, but bamboo also bears fruit.
Moreover, did you know that all the plants in a bamboo grove will flower at the same time? This phenomenon is known as synchronous flowering.
Even if the bamboo plants in a grove are grown in different locations with varying geographical conditions, they will still bloom simultaneously. According to some experts, this phenomenon occurs because these plants share a common genetic root with the parent plant, thus their flowering times are somewhat synchronized.
Beliefs Associated with Bamboo Flowers
Despite their rarity, the flowering of bamboo is considered an ominous sign in some countries, particularly in India. This is because when bamboo flowers bloom, they attract many rodents, especially rats.
Bamboo flowers are considered an ominous sign in some parts of the world.
This is why the appearance of bamboo flowers leads to a rapid increase in rat populations. After consuming the bamboo roots, they will attack other crops. As a result, in some regions, bamboo flowering often triggers famine and disease.
The history of this nation supports this notion. In October 1958, the Indian government at the time declined a financial aid request from the Mizoram district, which claimed that bamboo flowering would lead to a rat epidemic. Consequently, in 1959, the area suffered from severe famine and drought.
In the Indian epic Mahabharata, bamboo flowering is also seen as a bad omen, linked to the story of the tyrant King Jayadrath. At that time, King Jayadrath kidnapped Draupadi – a beautiful woman, and tormented her throughout the journey.
Draupadi cast a curse on the king, saying that his dynasty would soon perish, just like the towering bamboo that suddenly dies after flowering.
Even in Vietnam, bamboo flowering is also considered a bad omen. Many believe that for most plant species, flowering is a sign of vitality.
However, only bamboo and its relatives are exceptions; flowering signifies the imminent end of life. Therefore, encountering bamboo flowers is considered unlucky.
Nevertheless, some people believe that the demise of bamboo after flowering is a rare and noble image.
In East Asian culture, bamboo symbolizes the ideal gentleman, as this plant is both strong yet flexible, bending but not breaking, hollow like the spirit of tranquility, free from obsession with power and material wealth. Just like a gentleman, bamboo and its flowers die standing tall rather than drooping like other flowers.
