Assessment of Culm Properties of 12 Ornamental Bamboo Taxa Grown in Luzon, Philippines for Their Potential Applications

Ornamental bamboos are widely cultivated for landscaping, but their value-added potential remains underexplored. In this study, 12 ornamental bamboo species from Luzon Island, Philippines, viz. Pink bamboo (Gigantochloa kuring Widjaja), Buhong dilaw [Schizostachyum brachycladum (Kurz ex Munro) Kurz], Black bamboo (Gigantochloa atroviolacea Widjaja), Pole bamboo (Thyrsostachys siamensis Gamble), Variegated bamboo [Bambusa multiplex (Lour.) Raeusch. ex Schult.f. 'Variegata'], Buddha belly (Bambusa ventricosa McClure), Wamin (Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J.C.Wendl. 'Wamin'), Taiwan [Bambusa multiplex (Lour.) Raeusch. ex Schult.f.], Sunburn [Bambusa multiplex (Lour.) Raeusch. ex Schult.f. 'Alphonse Karr'], Vivax (Phyllostachys vivax McClure), Chino [Pleioblastus argenteostriatus (Regel) Nakai 'Hisauchii'], and Dulcis (Phyllostachys dulcis McClure) were evaluated. Six culms per species were tested for physical and mechanical properties following ASTM D143 (2019) and ISO 22157 (2019). Species comparisons used bottom-culm specimens, while axial effects were assessed only in sufficiently long culms. Moisture content (MC), basic relative density (RD), shrinkage, and mechanical properties varied significantly across species. Axial position significantly affected selected physical properties in some species, whereas most mechanical properties showed no significant axial variation, and nodal position had limited influence on compression and shear strength. Taiwan bamboo and Sunburn bamboo had relatively high RD, whereas Wamin bamboo and Buddha belly showed low RD and high MC. MC was negatively correlated with RD and positively correlated with shrinkage, while RD was positively correlated with mechanical properties. Chino bamboo and Sunburn bamboo exhibited high bending strength and stiffness, whereas Vivax and Dulcis bamboo showed high compression strength. Several ornamental species had properties comparable to commercially utilized bamboos. Based on the physical and mechanical properties, selected species show potential for furniture, laminated bamboo products, decorative panels, semi-structural and other specialty products; lower-strength species may suit decorative and non-structural uses. These findings highlight the potential of ornamental bamboo for value-added applications beyond landscaping. Keywords: bamboo utilization, density, mechanical properties, physical properties, value-added applications