A Bamban Could be Nice Afterall

The potted bamban

Berry

I saw this specimen of bamban, probably Donax cannaeformis, in the garden of Patis Tesoro. If potted in a big jar and grown healthy it could be used as a nice ornamental plant.  The specimen looked like a fine culmed bamboo. It would take up a big space in your garden though.  But then again bamban just grows as a weed in riversides in the provinces. It is free if propagated and would appear garden worthy afterall.

The famous bamban cane

My impression of bamban is that it is used by teachers as punishment stick.  Have you heard of the term 'pam-bamban' which means whacking cane. So eversince bamban has a negative reputation to most, especially young kids in provincial public schools.  The unruly plant used to punish the unruly. Hehehehe!

Leaf detail

But then again a lot of places are also named after bamban, like the town in Tarlac. I am not sure but some say that the root is also used to make uraro cookies.  But googling uraro, it says it is sourced from a Maranta and not Donax. But both plants are closely related.   So it might be true that the bamban may be used as uraro ingredient, but will still have to confirm it.