Check out this thread:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-37749-bamboo.html
It ought to help.
Here is a luau cake I made this year with bamboo on the sides. I colored fondant with some green and a touch of borwn paste or gel colors. I just rolled sausage shapes of fondant, measured and cut them to the length I wanted. Then attached to the buttercream without having to use glue. I then took a pair of angled tweezers and pinched the paste to make the division marks on the bamboo. Made a few gumpaste rose leaves without veining and stuck them here and there on the bamboo. I brushed the bamboo randomly with brown petal dust on a small dry paintbrush.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=ShirleyW&cat=0&pos=98
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