<p>The functional traits of the bamboo leaves vary among species. However, there is limited research on the acclimatization strategies and survival constraints of sympodial and monopodial bamboos in the tropics based on leaf functional traits. In the present study, we investigated the survival and shoot production of seven sympodial and six monopodial bamboo species introduced to Sanya, Hainan, China 18 months post-transplantation. We measured and analyzed 29 leaf functional traits between August 2022 and April 2023. We discovered that the acclimatization ability of sympodial bamboos was better than that of monopodial bamboos. Among the 29 leaf functional traits, 16 indices were significantly higher (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) and three were significantly lower (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) in sympodial bamboos than that in monopodial bamboos. A key factor limiting the survival rate of monopodial bamboos may have been the photosynthetic capacity of leaves on old culms. Sympodial bamboos promote photosynthesis by increasing leaf gas exchange, light response curve fitting parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf morphology, and tend to allocate organic matter for rapid growth in a “high-yield, high-consumption” mode. Monopodial bamboos survive in a “low-yield, low-consumption” mode by decreasing the photosynthetic capacity of the leaves, conserving the consumption of organic matter, increasing the density of the leaf tissues and the dry matter content, and increasing resistance through the allocation of organic matter to storage tissues. Organic matter allocation in old culms leaves improved resistance, whereas in young culms, it supported rapid growth. The overall linkage among traits in monopodial bamboos was higher than that in sympodial bamboos. This study provides data that support the introduction of sympodial and monopodial bamboos in tropical regions.</p>