Of all the temperate timber bamboos, this is the strongest. Although not native to Japan, Madake is the bamboo most preferred for building in that country. It is a good bamboo for places that get snow, but do not get colder that 5º F, since it sheds snow better than most other large bamboos. It is also very upright, not leaning to the sun as some others do. The first picture shows P. bambusoides planted at the airport in San Francisco.
