In article ,
"Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Pam Moore" wrote

I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?

A lot of them around here flowered last year and are looking very sorry for
themselves. Lots of TLC can bring them back into health, sometimes.

Fargesia Nitida flowered last year.

http://www.americanbamboo.org/Genera...ooFlowers.html
http://www.inbar.int/flowering/main.htm