Which bamboo species for a tight spot?

[Kostas]

Hello

I would like to ask you if there is any preferably tall growing bamboo species that spreads its culms to a no bigger than 2-3m diameter area. I have a spot in a patio at a corner of my property which is 70cm wide and 2-3m long. The patio runs for many meters but i only have 2-3 meter of its length available to a bamboo. That spot is at the corner of my property and its enclosed between 3 cement slabs but the fourth side is open. After 2-3 meters from that corner,i have a Caryota maxima(Himalaya) seedlings planted which hopefully should grow large and reach almost the entire width of the patio(i will enlarge the patio if the trunk comes too close to the cement walkway). I am searching for a bamboo that can restrict itself between the end of my property and the Caryota. I dont want to place a root barrier there to restrict the bamboo as it would also restrict Caryota's root system and as they are prone to toppling in high winds,i want it spread its roots as freely as possible!

Is there any species that wont overgrow my space for a few decades maybe?

Thank you very much in advance!

[Darold Petty]

Hi Kostas;

I am not a bamboo expert but I like Bambusa oldhamii. It is a clumping species, and here in northern California the culms grow close and vertical. I wish I had space in my garden for this plant.

[WestCoastGal]

I also have been considering the use of some clumping bamboo in our yard. How high of a hedge are you looking for and how large of a diameter do you want the canes to be? Here's a link I found useful for the Bambusa oldhamii that was mentioned. Very nice vertical growth but too tall for our use. Sounds like you would still want to use a root barrier though to prevent problems later.

Right now I'm considering the Bambusa multiplex fernleaf. Not sure whether or not this would work for you. Here's a link with some temperature and zone info. This variety is also suppose to be deer-resistant (not sure if you have deer in Greece, this info might be helpful to others considering). Read also that when temps drop below 6F the canes will defoiliate and at 0F will die to ground but will resprout.

There is another variation of fernleaf that might be worth considering: Fearnleaf Stripestem which has some different characteristics from the former.

Edited February 5, 2011 by WestCoastGal

[Xenon]

The dwarf form of Bambusa chungii?

Jonathan

[Walter John]

The dwarf form of Bambusa chungii?

Jonathan

That's called 'barbaletta' from memory, can be difficult to find and hence rather expensive. One thing though, it's not a tall one as Kostas is seeking.

Quote [tall growing bamboo species that spreads its culms to a no bigger than 2-3m diameter area]. For clumping bamboo Kostas, you maintain that size yourself by breaking any culms going outside any measured area. The ones I've listed though will keep tight

Here's a few to consider, all tight clumping, showing avg max heights. The Oldhami is the most popular on the planet for screening/wind breaks and it's fast and it's cheap. It comes down to appearance really, whether you want ornamental looking etc.

Just suggestions, reasonably definitive to the specs.

13 metes Thyrostachys Siamensis commonly known as 'Monastery Bamboo'

16 metres Gigantochloa Atroviolacea commonly known as 'Java Black'

18 metres Bambusa Oldhamii

20 metres Gigantochloa Atter

[Xenon]

The dwarf form of Bambusa chungii?

Jonathan

That's called 'barbaletta' from memory, can be difficult to find and hence rather expensive. One thing though, it's not a tall one as Kostas is seeking.

Quote [tall growing bamboo species that spreads its culms to a no bigger than 2-3m diameter area]. For clumping bamboo Kostas, you maintain that size yourself by breaking any culms going outside any measured area. The ones I've listed though will keep tight

Here's a few to consider, all tight clumping, showing avg max heights. The Oldhami is the most popular on the planet for screening/wind breaks and it's fast and it's cheap. It comes down to appearance really, whether you want ornamental looking etc.

Just suggestions, reasonably definitive to the specs.

13 metes Thyrostachys Siamensis commonly known as 'Monastery Bamboo'

16 metres Gigantochloa Atroviolacea commonly known as 'Java Black'

18 metres Bambusa Oldhamii

20 metres Gigantochloa Atter

Thanks for the info, Wal.

Jonathan

[Kostas]

Thank you very much all of you for your very helpful replys! I appreciate you help!

WestCoastGal,

Your links were very interesting to read and helpful,thank you very much! We do have deer in Greece but never around Urban areas...Too few and in remote places to ever have a chance to visit my garden!

I am looking for a bamboo 15m and up in height with a preference to 20++++++m and up Large diameter canes are a plus but too large and i can only have a few of them! Somewhere between 10-20cm should be a good size.

Wal,

Thank you very much for your detailed and extremely helpful reply!

I like the Gigantochloa a lot! I am all for the tallest of the tall as long as they can fit the ground area i have available! Even taller than 20m is ok as well! I like the culms of the G. atroviolacea a lot but the leaf setting of the G. atter seems more droopy and attractive than Java Black's photos i found. Is there another G. species with black culms and droopy leaf setting like G. atter's and possibly taller maybe? Do you have any photo of your G. atroviolacea's leafs?

How easy is it to remove the new shoots past the measured area? Does it shoot new culms only on the margin of the clump or in inner places as well?

Thank you very much in advance!

[ariscott]

Just break off the new shoots, if you think it is too far out... What about Schizostachyum brachycladum (Bali sacred bamboo)? Will it grow for you? They are slow growing relatively, very compact, straight & very attractive.

Regards, Ari

[Kostas]

This one sure looks nice Ari,thank you very much for your suggestion! I dont know if it will be able to look good here as i found some above 0C min temperatures listed for it which i certainly cant provide! For a plant to be able to look good here most of the time,it should be able to survive -2C undamaged.

What about the Dendrocalamus genus? They, along with a few other genus including some Gigantochloea,have these pinnate leaf like leaf arrangements that make them look very tropical and awesome!

[ariscott]

Most of dendrocalamus will grow too big for you. Although one thing that you can try is Dendrocalamus minor “Amoneus" - which is a bit more compact & very pretty.

Regards, Ari

[Kostas]

Thank you very much for your reply Ari!

This one almost fits the bill as well!!!Dendrocalamus minor “Amoneus" is exactly as i would like my bamboo to look but half the size i would like. If the culms were at least 4" i would go for it for its beautiful leaf setting! Any taller one with identical leaf setting/shape?

Thank you very much in advance!

Best regards,

-Konstantinos

[MichaelS]

'Java Black' might be a bit tender or at least be right on the edge.

With B.oldhamii you would not have to worry about coldsnaps.

In any case you should also consider how much bamboo litters.

Michael

[Kostas]

Thank you very much for your reply Michael!

At what temperature does it damage for you? Gigantochloa(and Dendrocalamus of course!) are much more tropical looking than Bambusa oldhamii which is quite strict in its growth habit and appearance.

I have been growing a young Phyllostachys nigra(i will be replacing it with the bamboo species i will conclude to in this thread as it turned out to be a fast runner.Not enough research from my part when i bought it is to blame mostly,as well as a ''clumping'' listing from the seller) for a couple of years now(4meters tall and hasnt grown this year's culms yet!)and have gotten an idea of the litter you are talking about! And i must say i really love it!!! It forms a thick litter under the bamboo fast and its one of the things i like about it! It forms a thick mulch under it and adds a natural touch as well as inhibiting any weeds from growing underneath it! I imagine a much bigger bamboo would produce copious quantities of it,covering nearby areas as well!So far only my Ziziphus tree helps with mulch covering in my garden. Everything else is too clean for the moment and i have to mulch as it breaks down and gets too thin...

[Kostas]

So far i am mostly considering the Gigantochloa atter and G. atroviolacea from the suggestions as they are both beautiful and fit my space. Is there any of the tall growing Dendrocalamus or another Gigantochloa with pretty big and broad leafs but not excessively thick culms(not above 20cm,not below 10cm),suitable for my space? Or any other suggestion with similar look? If not,i will probably choose one of the 2 Gigantochloa species suggested. I would like to thank you all very much for your suggestions and help so far! I was very happy to hear there do are tall bamboo that can grow in my tight growing area without a root barrier and with minimal maintenance!

How sensitive have you found the above Gigantochloa species to be to cold? I read that they damage with hard freezes only and not with light ones. In Pyrgos,we get -1C to -2C most of the years and only once every about 20years,we get temperatures below that with a record of -3,6C. These temperatures are only recorded just before sun warms everything up though and no day remains below freezing. What would be a good palm analog to these species's cold hardiness?

How easy is it to remove new culms that expand outside their allowed growing area? Does this involve digging 10-20cm down and severing the rhizome connecting them to the clump or a simple snap of the newly emerging culm is sufficient and prevents further underground spread next year? About how many cm can they spread towards one direction,within a year when mature? Do new culms only grow at the perimeter of the clump or in inner areas of the clump as well? I ask that because when they reach the end of their growing area,i will have to be removing any that grow outside it,removing the new growth. If they only grow culms where i am removing them,i will be effectively removing all their new grow which cant be good for them

Sorry for the so many questions...

Thank you very much in advance!

[ariscott]

Thank you very much for your reply Ari!

This one almost fits the bill as well!!!Dendrocalamus minor “Amoneus" is exactly as i would like my bamboo to look but half the size i would like. If the culms were at least 4" i would go for it for its beautiful leaf setting! Any taller one with identical leaf setting/shape?

Thank you very much in advance!

Best regards,

-Konstantinos

Kostas, what do you mean 4" culms? Do you want it bigger culms or taller? Although it is not as tall as the rest, it is still quite tall. The one growing at a grower place here is so beautiful!! I wish I took a picture to show you. I have one growing, but it is still too young to show... If you only have 2-3 metres to play with, I wouldn't go with big bamboo.

If you want to stop the bamboo from growing, you just break the shoots from above the ground - you don't have to dig. It will then grow shoots in different directions. Or if you like bamboo shoots to eat, B. oldhamii is good for that.

Regards, Ari

[Kostas]

Thank you very much for your reply Ari!

I meant that if the culms grew thicker than 2",around the 4" mark,i would go for it even though its not quite as tall as i would like it grow to be! I would go for the non variegated form though.

Thats great to hear, Ari! Easy to do and doesnt mess with the nearby palm roots!

I like eating bamboo cooked in Asian recipes,probably the ingredient i like most in them along with Kelp! So i will make sure i try eating the surplus shoots of the species i plant,when available in a few years! I was about to try the surplus ones of my Phyllostachys nigra but forgot them in Pyrgos last year when returning to Athens...Maybe this year with some more research on their edibility as well...

Best regards,

-Konstantinos