It is densely foliated, growing up to 20 metres (65 feet) tall in good conditions, and can have a diameter of up to 10 centimetres (4 inches).

Bambusa oldhamii grows to 17–20 m (56–66 ft) in height, with green culms reaching a maximum of 10 cm (4 in) in diameter.

)[1][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] It has been introduced into cultivation around the world; it is grown under glass in Germany,[2] and in Australia, Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Louisiana, and California, where it is the most common clumping bamboo grown.

[3] In Taiwan and China, the young shoots of B. oldhamii are highly sought after due to their crisp texture and sweet taste.

[11] Cultivation in Taiwan has declined with many stands of bamboo converted to pineapple production, a number of subsidy and support programs have been established as the cultivated bamboo groves provide valuable wildlife habitat and their destruction challenges the endangered farmland green tree frog.