There are some bamboo species that are often overlooked. It’s unfortunate because they have a lot of good qualities. Species in the genera Sasa, Pseudosasa, Pleioblastus, Indocalamus, and Hibanobambusa are frequently overlooked by zone 5 gardeners because these species do die back to the ground each winter here. This means that they grow much like…
Canebrakes
by David Rogers CANEBRAKES – stands of our American native bamboo species, have enjoyed a long history on our North American continent. The River Cane was utilized by Native Americans in their construction of weather-proof wattle and daub housing, basketry, floor mats, arrow shafts, blowguns, minnow traps, flutes, torches, and more spanning a period of…
Planting Bamboo
Planting Bamboo, by Country What Not Gardens – Cold Hardy Bamboo Refer to the following information regarding choosing a planting site with the correct light for the genus you are planting. Arundinaria • medium to fast running, full sun or pm shade. Fargesia • clumping and most require full shade. Hibanobambusa • slow to medium…
The Science of Cold Hardiness
As the old saying goes, if we didn’t have weather what would we talk about? A customer asked me if his bamboo would “ever be perennial.” Well, bamboo is always a perennial. It comes back year after year from the previous season’s growth (roots). That’s what a perennial is. Specifically what he meant was, would…
Understanding “Running” Bamboo
Most temperate bamboos have the root system that is classified as “running.” This means that they have long roots that lay shallow and horizontally under the soil. These roots are called rhizomes. Rhizomes grow just like the culms. They have the same nodes and reach full length in only a few weeks during summer and…