Tropical bamboo, revered by many Asian cultures as a symbol of fidelity and resilience, is a popular landscape ornament in Hawaii, but few know the extent of its diversity.

Peter Berg and Susan Ruskin, owners of the Quindembo Bamboo Nursery in Kamuela, have been bringing in more than 80 new species of bamboo to Hawaii since 1989.

The pair will give a special presentation on May 15 on new bamboo and its uses, followed by a plant sale at Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe.

Bamboo is used for hundreds of items, ranging from chopsticks to floors to building material, furniture, medicine, crafts and food. But in a landscape it can serve as a windbreak or visual screen or provide soil erosion control.

Berg and Ruskin believe bamboo, as a self-renewing crop, has plenty of potential for growth here, with many useful applications.

Importing the bamboo required hard work and patience, given that many of the plants were held in quarantine for a year. The bamboo that survived quarantine then took several years to grow and propagate.

While most of us have a single vision of bamboo we've seen while hiking at Tantalus or planted elsewhere in the state, the imports are different, according to Berg, who describes them as “;noninvasive clumpers.”; That means that, unlike runners that tend to spread quickly and take over a landscape, these grow in clumps, like bananas.

The bamboo is imported from tropical and subtropical regions from Southeast Asia to China and Mexico. They vary in color, height and thickness.

Only one species, the 'ohe—used to make nose flutes, percussion instruments and pu'ili (split bamboo hula implements)—is considered a Polynesian introduction.

Bamboo is classified as a grass, not a tree, though it can grow to heights of 50 feet or more. The plant does well in Hawaii's climate, according to Berg, and is a renewable resource because of its rapid growth rate. In some countries, homes are constructed of bamboo, along with pavilions and bridges.

Quindembo will offer black bamboo, as well as several edibles and ornamentals at the botanical garden, including the following:

» Bambooze: Commonly referred to as the “;wine bamboo,”; this plant from the savannas of tropical Africa can grow 30 to 40 feet tall. It is relatively drought-tolerant.

» Bambusa rigida: Introduced from China, this bamboo is compact and tolerates any conditions in Hawaii. Grows 28 to 35 feet tall. Can make a single, ornamental plant or hedge. Does well in wind.

» Barbie: Good choice for tighter locations; creates a lovely hedge. A bit shorter than its relation, the Tropical Blue Bamboo, and coloring is more subdued. Grows 25 to 30 feet tall.

» Ghost bamboo: A stunning plant with medium-size leaves and canes covered with a powder that makes bamboo look blue. Grows 20 to 30 feet in China, possibly taller in Hawaii.

» Mayan silver: A rare species from Mexico, the Mayan Silver can make a gorgeous container plant with blue-and-white canes exposed. It grows to about 25 feet.

» Rachel Carson: Originally collected in Indonesia, this bamboo has large leaves and pink-and-white striated canes. It can grow to 25 feet tall, although plants are sometimes taller in Hawaii. Great as an ornamental plant or visual screen.

» Sticky rice bamboo: Compact bamboo that grows 30 to 40 feet tall. Used throughout Southeast Asia as a vessel for cooking rice, the new leaf sheaths are bright orange and red.

» Timor black: An outstanding ornamental species from East Timor, this bamboo has shiny black canes with intermittent green stripes. Canes emerge green, turn rich koa brown and darken to black within several months. Grows 40 to 50 feet tall.

» Maxima: Tall, statuesque bamboo with large leaves and cream-striped canes. Grows to more than 50 feet and makes a bold statement in the landscape. Its shoots are edible.