A bamboo plant has amazed gardeners at Trebah Garden in Mawnan Smith after sprouting “the most enormous shoots” ever seen.

With a girth of over 20 inches already measured, the plant is growing at more than a foot every day. The “bamboo beast” is expected to reach a giddy height of over 18 metres by the end of the summer.

Head gardener, Darren Dickey, said: “Our timber bamboo, Phyllostachys edulis, has thrown up some amazing new shoots with the largest diameter measuring a whopping 150mm (six inches).

“It has been an exceptional start to the year for our bamboo collection. The mild weather has meant bigger and better growth than ever before. This variety in particular really stands out.”

President of the Bamboo Society, Ray Townsend, who visited the garden last week said they were the biggest shoots he has ever seen growing outside in the UK.