Can I eat my possible bamboo type plant new shoots?

Question

I am looking all over and cannot find the type of bamboo plant that we have. It dies off in winter and leaves hollow tall light tubes that grow up to 14 ft high. It is now sending pink shoots and and I want to know if they are eatable. I cannot find any bamboo type plant that dies off and comes back in spring. The stems are thin but can be over one inch, they are always brittle and can be snapped over your knee, any time of year. We are in northern Idaho where we have near 0 or below in winter for months.

Answer 1

I don’t recommend eating any of the shoots unless you are able to identify for sure what the plant is. There are bamboo plants that can die back in winter and re-grow in spring when they’re grown in colder climates than thier native habitat, but there are also other plants with tall, hollow stems that aren’t bamboos.

Would it be possible to send pictures? Clear pictures that show as many parts of the plant as possible will help us ID it.