HIROSE BAMBOO

EDIBLE SHOOTS: "Excellent quality and maybe eaten raw if well mulched and not allowed to see sunlight." [5]
CULMS FOR CONSTRUCTION: "Some people feel it's superior as a landscape specimen and for construction material." [1]  Whispering Winds Bamboo says that the timber is excellent. [5] Sharon's Plants writes, "It produces very hard and large diameter timber that has undergone laboratory analysis and proven to be one of the strongest timber producers." [4] NOTE: I would like to see a study cited to back up this strength claim, although I don't doubt it.
WINDBREAK AND PRIVACY BARRIER: "Excellent as both a windbreak and privacy barrier." [4]
ORNAMENTAL: Yes. 

NATIVE TO: Probably India. [1] Whispering Winds Bamboo claims that it is native to southern China. [5] Bamboo Ranch writes, "Thought to have been brought from the Philippines." [9]
DESCRIPTION: Hawaiian Tropical Plants Nursery writes, "It is a seedling of a plant that was growing at Hirose Nursery in Hilo, Hawaii." [10] Tropical Bamboo Nursery writes, "Not officially identified as a cultivar of Bambusa oldhamii. It certainly resembles oldhamii." It gets a "little larger" than oldhamii. [10] "A timber bamboo, which was said to be brought to Hawaii from India." [1] "Very rare in the mainland of the United States. " [1] One comment on bambooweb's forum claims that it is named after Mr. Hirose of Hawaii, who "had a nursery" there. [6] Bamboo ranch writes, "Only known plants grow near Hilo, Hawai'i." [9]
- SHAPE: "Very straight and erect, tight clumper." [5] "Slightly arching near the top." [10]
- HEIGHT: "Very straight culms and reach 60'- 70' tall with thin, strong walls and long internodes." [1] Whispering Winds Bamboo lists it from 50-55' tall at maturity. [5] Hawaiian Tropical Plants Nursery list it to 65' tall. [10]
- RATE OF GROWTH: "Very fast." [9]
- CULMS [aka Poles]: "Green, turning gold" with age. [5] "When first planted in Hawaii it grew to 6” in diameter with thick walls. The original five plants all seeded and died, producing only one seed that germinated. From that seed, this current strain, now grows to 5” in diameter." [1] "Some of the culm sections are oval but most are round." [1] Culm walls are reported to be thicker and thus stronger than oldhamii. [6] Bamboo Ranch writes, "much harder than Bambusa oldhamii." [9]
- LEAVES: "Dark green, broad leaf, long flat hand." [5] Medium-sized. [10]
- FLOWERS: "Flowering occurred in the 1980s." [10]
CULTURE:
- COLD HARDINESS: USDA zone 9A [1] to 11. Zone 9A is rated at 25F. [2] Thigpen Trail Bamboo in Georgia ranks it down to 21F. [8] The Bamboo Ranch in Tucson rates it down to a very low 16F. [9] NOTE: Time will tell, and we shall know its true cold hardiness in good time.
- WIND TOLERANCE: "Great." [5]
- HEAT TOLERANCE: Bamboo Ranch in Tucson writes, "Retains a dark green color on leaves even in desert heat." [9]
- PROPAGATION: Rhizome division, and most likely culm segments.
- ALSO: "Hardy," tolerates "wet, drought, and salt." [5]
NOTE: There is not too much information on this species across the web. The National gardening Association has an empty profile page for it. Dave's Garden profiles this variety on their website, bbut offers little additional information. They rate it down to USDA zone 8A [10F], which I would like to see to believe.