Mexican Bamboo

[Gbarce]

THis looks like an ordinary clump of grass but its Mexican Bamboo.

I've never seen a large clump of these-- only short bushy examples like this one. I have been told that they can get up to 20 feet tall on pencil thin stalks and the leaves are very whispy when mature.

There doesn't seem to be any information on the net about it.

Anyone have any information on this bamboo? Pictures of a mature specimen perhaps?

[John Case]

THis looks like an ordinary clump of grass but its Mexican Bamboo.

I've never seen a large clump of these-- only short bushy examples like this one. I have been told that they can get up to 20 feet tall on pencil thin stalks and the leaves are very whispy when mature.

There doesn't seem to be any information on the net about it.

Anyone have any information on this bamboo? Pictures of a mature specimen perhaps?

I got one last year in very poor condition and it is shooting now, culms 6 -7 feet tall. Lots of leaves, open clupmper.

I like it. I'll try to get a photo to you.

Thanks,

John

[Tyrone]

That's Otatea acuminata. I can't seem to grow this one even though my climate is meant to be like northern Mexico. It's a beautiful bamboo. It's also a clumper, so you don't need to worry about this one running away either.

Best regards

Tyrone

[rozpalm]

I planted Otatea acuminata acuminata in March and it just put up a new shoot a month ago. This is a hard plant to find since its kind of a collectors only type of bamboo. I saw the plant that this one came off of and it is spectacular. I can't wait for it to take off.

[Gbarce]

Yeah I would agree that its a collectors only kind of bamboo. Its been around here for several years and considering that its a bamboo should be pretty easy to propagate and should be readily available.

But for some reason it only appears once in a while and usually expensive but does not really generate much interest to the general public.

I guess only a true bamboo afficianado would be enticed by the "expensive grass" -- since like I said its only the the small grasslike clumps that are available in these parts.

[BigFrond]

The Wild Animal Park here in Escondido has many of them. They are indeed very nice and not aggressive at all. The leaves are featherly-like. I have Otatea glauca "Mayan Silver" which is even harder to get than acuminata. However, they both look the same to me, except glauca has a better trunk color and smaller leaves. BTW, they are not fast compare to other bamboo. Mine is finally outgrowing its 20 gal container.

[Creekside]

Because of the weeping nature of the culms, Otatea needs a lot of space around it. It will never get particularly tall or have a big footprint, but do give it plenty of room to look its best. I love how a tropical garden looks when wind provides movement, and Mexican Weeping Bamboo is particularly beautiful with its feathery culms blowing in the breeze.

[bahia]

It is actually fairly common as a bamboo here in California, where it has been popular for over 15 years now. It typically grows to be about 12 to 18 feet tall, and does arch out at the tops from a tight clump. The stems are not pencil thin when it gets mature, it can easily get 1.5 inch caliper stems. They are slow to establish if the roots have been disturbed, it is best to plant a container grown plant that has not been allowed to root into the ground, or if you do divide/move a big mature clump, move it as an entire plant rather than try to divide it into too small sections; they really resent root disturbance and can take 2 to 3 years to settle in again. In my experience with this bamboo, it is always best with good amount of irrigation in our mediterranean climate, and if it is subjected to cold drying winds or frost, the leaves tend to drop or go grayish. Older established plants can grow quite quickly. In habitat in southern Mexico mountains, this gets lots of summer rainfall and winter dry season, but grows quite well here in California with the exact opposite rain season, as long as it gets water in summer. There are selected cultivars that are dwarfer in height, Suncrest Wholesale Nursery in Watsonville offers one such selected dwarfer clone. I especially appreciate this species for the fine textured weeping foliage, as well as the light apple green foliage color, and well behaved clumping habit; although I have also seen forms that send up newer culms a good 18 inches further out than the older ones, so it isn't always tightly clumping.

[John Case]

Mine is shooting right now. I'll get some photos in the A.M. While the clump is not mature, it will be by the end of summer at this rate.

[Gonzer]

Here's my clump that has been "trained" to overlook the drive, our own Batcave. The small plant is the only success I've had trying to obtain a cutting. Fantastic plant!

[BS Man about Palms]

Looks nice Greg!

[Kris]

Nice visuals...but i have a question do snakes visit these clumps & live in them ?

Thanks & Love,

Kris

[Eric in Orlando]

We have 2 clumps of it growing here. One is in full sun and a fairly tight grower. The other is in bright shade and it takes up more room. The canes are more widely spaced.

SUN

SHADE, this photo is several years old, the clump is about twice the size now

[Eric in Orlando]

The Wild Animal Park here in Escondido has many of them. They are indeed very nice and not aggressive at all. The leaves are featherly-like. I have Otatea glauca "Mayan Silver" which is even harder to get than acuminata. However, they both look the same to me, except glauca has a better trunk color and smaller leaves. BTW, they are not fast compare to other bamboo. Mine is finally outgrowing its 20 gal container.

BF,

How is your 'Mayan Silver' growing? Ours has been a much slower grower. We had a couple donated as seedlings a few years ago and the one in the ground is a nice thick clump but only about 3ft tall. It hasn't proven to be a vigorous grower yet.

[John Case]

Nice visuals...but i have a question do snakes visit these clumps & live in them ?

Thanks & Love,

Kris

Kris,

Even when the culms reach their maximum size, the branches are very small and leafy. Any sizeable snakes would have troubles moving around in the large number of branches and leaves which are many times so numerous that the culms are totlly obscured. Additionally, the culms are quite flexible and wight on them causes them to bend to the ground.

I don't think any self respecting snake would be found in this particular bamboo.

But I could be wrong......

[Kris]

Dear John

Thanks for the information.

Lots of love,

Kris

[Walter John]

Just saw this thread for the first time, wowza, they call that Otatea Acuminata Aztecorum here and it's expensive and tricky to find.

I want one....

[Gonzer]

and harder'n he// to get divisions to take! Here's mine that, along with the baronii on the right, make a swell closure for the Bat cave.

[Al in Kona]

I just read this thread today about the Mexican Weeping Bamboo and when I went to our local big box store - you know the one everybody goes to, well there they had big thick 1-gallon plants for sale (very healthy looking). Rather expensive however - $17.97. I didn't get one as I already have that plant growing in the garden. Anyway just thought I'd let you guys know in case you wanted to come over and pick one up!

Al in Kona

[Jose Maria]

Nice visuals...but i have a question do snakes visit these clumps & live in them ?

Thanks & Love,

Kris

Hi Kris,

I will also answer your question about snakes with some reference to what happens here. In general terms snakes seem to station themselves in places visited by their ...meals( rats, ..all kinds of small animals) Here we have found that some kinds of vegetation attract them because other animals feed there too.

In case:Arachis pintoi, a peanut from Minas Gerais in Brasil, and now planted all over Costa Rica,is a beautiful ground-cover in gardens and in dairy farms, has come to fame as a preferred place for snakes to hide in, waiting for other animals to show up.....

But, here we find also snakes in just about every place ....they are part of the equilibrium of things...just keep on watching.

[David N.TX.]

Sorry, Your Mexican bamboo is Muhlenbergia dumosa. Some call it Bamboo Muhly grass.

[Gonzer]

Sorry, Your Mexican bamboo is Muhlenbergia dumosa. Some call it Bamboo Muhly grass.

Dave, if you're talking about my plant you are mistaken, M. dumbosa is nothing like it.

[David N.TX.]

No. the very first post. BTW, Ted was on one of those foodie shows just recently.

[Gonzer]

Sorry Dave.

[David N.TX.]

After looking again, I think I am wrong. Sorry Gene. The plants look very similar when small.

[Austinpalm]

Here are a couple of pix of my plant. It was planted in light shade in 2005 and has been a somewhat slow but consistent grower.

This was taken in 2005.

This was taken just last week.