Are there any pests or diseases that infest or infect tropical bamboo plants?
Tropical bamboos are less susceptible to pests or diseases than most other tropical plants. However, there are a couple of pests, a fungus, and a virus that, in the U.S., may be introduced to you in conversation or you may suspect on your tropical bamboo plant. Most are not fatal and usually don’t greatly affect the growth of the bamboo. We, and our local Plant Industry inspectors, monitor our stock to ensure that no problems originate at our nursery. Fungal spots – On older culms, especially in humid conditions, fungal spots can appear – usually in a circular ring pattern. The effect is mostly cosmetic. This can be treated topically with a copper-based product that’s labeled for plant fungus problems. Alternatively, since the affected culms are usually old, the culm(s) can be simply removed from the clump. BaMV (Bamboo Mosaic Potex Virus) – This is a virus that is transmitted only by physical vectors (usually cutting tools). It is actually difficult to transmit but people do manage to
