Phyllostachys edulis, the mōsō bamboo,[2] or tortoise-shell bamboo,[2] or mao zhu (Chinese: 毛竹; pinyin: máozhú), (Japanese: モウソウチク), (Chinese: 孟宗竹) is a temperate species of giant timber bamboo native to China and Taiwan and naturalised elsewhere, including Japan where it is widely distributed from south of Hokkaido to Kagoshima.

Moso is less cold-hardy than many phyllostachys, surviving at a reduced height down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 °C).

The culms grow quickly and reach a height of 90 ft (27 m) or more (depending on the age and health of the plant).

), is a fungus species known from Japan, that grows on the ground on the living or dead roots of the bamboo.

Cultivars include:[citation needed] In 2016 OnlyMoso USA initiated large scale commercial farming of Phyllostachys edulis in the United States, in the state of Florida, becoming the first entity to grow mōsō bamboo from seedlings in large scale in the US, including the development of nurseries to ensure a constant supply of viable plants for bamboo farmers.