Wagons East

[BeyondTheGarden]

My house in Thurston County Washington is on the market and we got the keys to our new townhouse this morning.  Going to be quite an adjustment from the space and privacy of 2 acres in the PNW. 

Fort Liberty (formerly Bragg) NC. 

 

Brought half a truck bed full of stuff.  Lost a few things, I always expect dome attrition.  It was a week on the road and the camper shell gets hotter than ambient.  So I cooked a couple things. 

Mostly Trachycarpus, a handful of Sabals, some chamaedorea, a queen, Lytocaryum, butiagrus, a couple Mahonias, a fig and Olive i had laying around.  Probably gonna see how long it takes to kill a Jubaea with humidity.  

Speaking of humidity..  man.  The difference in climate here is staggering.  This is my 3rd time living here though wo not unexpected.  If you've ever been in the Army, ft Bragg is a wormhole.  No matter how far you move away from it, you're always moving right back toward it at the same time. 

We've had 2 offers on our WA house already but I don't like to count your chick's before they hatch so we'll see how it goes.  Breaking the lease here is surprisingly painless so we'll hopefully be getting into a proper house Lord willing.   And that means putting plants in the ground. 

It's nice to see Sabal palmetto and minor, Trachycarpus, Butias, and Cycas in-ground here.  Most of the plantings here just seem so forgotten-about.  Neglected, overlooked, abandoned.  I'll probably document some local palms but I know @ZPalms has documented a good handful already. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

My biggest and still somewhat adjustment to city lot living was the closeness to neighbors. I still feel like I'm living in a fish bowl 4 years later.

You have quite a nice selection of cross country travelers.

[ZPalms]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:50 PM, Jesse PNW said:

My house in Thurston County Washington is on the market and we got the keys to our new townhouse this morning.  Going to be quite an adjustment from the space and privacy of 2 acres in the PNW. 

Fort Liberty (formerly Bragg) NC. 

 

Brought half a truck bed full of stuff.  Lost a few things, I always expect dome attrition.  It was a week on the road and the camper shell gets hotter than ambient.  So I cooked a couple things. 

Mostly Trachycarpus, a handful of Sabals, some chamaedorea, a queen, Lytocaryum, butiagrus, a couple Mahonias, a fig and Olive i had laying around.  Probably gonna see how long it takes to kill a Jubaea with humidity.  

Speaking of humidity..  man.  The difference in climate here is staggering.  This is my 3rd time living here though wo not unexpected.  If you've ever been in the Army, ft Bragg is a wormhole.  No matter how far you move away from it, you're always moving right back toward it at the same time. 

We've had 2 offers on our WA house already but I don't like to count your chick's before they hatch so we'll see how it goes.  Breaking the lease here is surprisingly painless so we'll hopefully be getting into a proper house Lord willing.   And that means putting plants in the ground. 

It's nice to see Sabal palmetto and minor, Trachycarpus, Butias, and Cycas in-ground here.  Most of the plantings here just seem so forgotten-about.  Neglected, overlooked, abandoned.  I'll probably document some local palms but I know @ZPalms has documented a good handful already. 

Welcome back to town, awesome to have somebody in town who loves palms! Hopefully you get a chance to stop by the washie on Bragg blvd, Theirs a handful of palms I didn’t even show or mention because I can’t get a good picture of them to show them justice.

hopefully the transition to a house will be quick and easy and transform a brand new garden!

I’d say if you ever need help with anything but I don’t drive or anything 😂 but good to have somebody else in town who will have mostly similar growing conditions!

[BeyondTheGarden]

Wade NC

Cycas revoluta I assume.

Lorinserea areolata i believe Trachy

 

Sabals

 

Still trying to learn the difference between Arundinaria gigantea and tecta. I assume most around here is tecta but IDK. The top knot sometimes looks like a Rhapis. 

This is right out the back door: 

butia in Spring Lake 

Sabals In Spring Lake .  They're neither rare nor common here.  I think there are more Trachycarpus in town in the PNW than there are Sabals in town here.

and i had to stop and see the local celebrity Cycas, Sabal, Washy, Butia planting at 944 Bragg Blvd. Picked up a few souvenirs. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Jesse PNW

[BeyondTheGarden]

I don't recall ever seeing sassafras in the PNW. I think it's a good looking little tree. Especially when the leaves are brilliant like this. 

[BeyondTheGarden]

34 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

 

I’d say if you ever need help with anything but I don’t drive or anything 😂 but good to have somebody else in town who will have mostly similar growing conditions!

Yeah it would be great to get together with other palm lovers.  

[ZPalms]

4 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

Wade NC

Cycas revoluta I assume.

Lorinserea areolata i believe Trachy

 

Sabals

 

Still trying to learn the difference between Arundinaria gigantea and tecta. I assume most around here is tecta but IDK. The top knot sometimes looks like a Rhapis. 

This is right out the back door: 

butia in Spring Lake 

Sabals In Spring Lake .  They're neither rare nor common here.  I think there are more Trachycarpus in town in the PNW than there are Sabals in town here.

and i had to stop and see the local celebrity Cycas, Sabal, Washy, Butia planting at 944 Bragg Blvd. Picked up a few souvenirs. 

You got some good finds I haven’t seen before, I used to pass that butia in front of mi casita every week and through the winter it didn’t lose its leaves during the December blast, I want to get some seeds 😍

Looks like summer has been good to the brag blvd palms, the butia is looking much healthier for some reason! Those are some impressive trachys 😍

I hope your jubaea survives that would be really cools, I’m also jealous of the single roebelenii.

[BeyondTheGarden]

I picked 10 Butia fruit off the ground, there are quite a few more.  I don't know when they fully ripen but figured if they're falling off freely they should be good (and free for the taking).  I tasted a nice clean one, it was delicious.  Apple and cherry.  

The roeb you see in the picture isn't a single, I'll get a better pic when the sun is up.  It looked really rough when i pulled it out of the truck, it looks much better now that it's had a couple days to rehydrate.  The soil in that pot is virtually nonexistent,I need to re-pot it.  

I got quite a few more Washy seedlings than I realized today.  Seems each chunk of soil contained more than one seedling.  

I have pulled seed off of two different palmetto but both have been dry-rotted or bored-through by some kind of pest.  I need to figure out when Sabal seeds ripen here.  There's much to re-learn. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Jesse PNW

[ZPalms]

2 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

I picked 10 Butia fruit off the ground, there are quite a few more.  I don't know when they fully ripen but figured if they're falling off freely they should be good (and free for the taking).  I tasted a nice clean one, it was delicious.  Apple and cherry.  

The roeb you see in the picture isn't a single, I'll get a better pic when the sun is up.  It looked really rough when i pulled it out of the truck, it looks much better now that it's had a couple days to rehydrate.  The soil in that pot is virtually nonexistent,I need to re-pot it.  

I got quite a few more Washy seedlings than I realized today.  Seems each chunk of soil contained more than one seedling.  

I have pulled seed off of two different palmetto but both have been dry-rotted or bored-through by some kind of pest.  I need to figure out when Sabal seeds ripen here.  There's much to re-learn. 

I'll to see if I can get anyone to take me, It sucks not having my license even tho I'm working on it hopefully eventually, I'm 24 and not having a license in this hobby for pretty much any reason is so difficult because I can't just go out to the sights I want because anyone else around me could care less.

I think those little white dot you see on some of the seeds are palm weevil egg and those hellians will just hatch and spread like crazy if your storing seeds, I'm pretty sure my whole stash of washie seeds have all succumbed to the palm seed weevils.

I hope the washies you raise will be miracle washies for the area, I wish the seeds from the tree in brag blvd would spread further out off lot into the surrounding forest, not that I've looked but maybe I should next time I go out there.

[Joe NC]

22 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

Still trying to learn the difference between Arundinaria gigantea and tecta. I assume most around here is tecta but IDK. The top knot sometimes looks like a Rhapis

A. tecta can be distinguished from A. gigantea in any of the following ways: A. tecta rhizomes have air canals on the perimeter, larger top knot leaves (8 to 12 inches in length), and 2-5 compressed nodes at the base of the branches (compared to 0 -1 nodes for A. gigantea). - From NCSU extension gardener plant tool box.

As far as I can tell, tecta is all over the place here in SE NC.  I've only ever seen what 1 am 90% sure is gigantea on the floodplain of the Cape Fear River.  I pulled out a rhizome and transplanted to a wild part of my yard.  It is significantly thicker and larger than any of the largest tecta I have naturally growing.

[BeyondTheGarden]

@Joe NC, I read that also, but I don't know what "an air canal on the perimeter" looks like and I'm also not willing to dig any rhizome up at this time.  And i don't know how long the leaves of gigantea top-knots are. I read on a couple sites that the two are difficult to distinguish.  The only thing I have to go on is the overall height but that seems to be a poor indicator. 

 

When I first started getting into bamboo, I did not like Arundinaria as I thought it didn't look exotic enough.  I have changed my mind although I don't know if I would want to grow any in-town. 

On HWY 40 there are lots of stands of what appear to be Phyllostachus aurea that have become invasive.  They look awesome but I also don't like seeing invasive things taking over. 

There is a big field across the hwy here that is being over-run by pampas grass.  You don't see that in the PNW.

[BeyondTheGarden]

@Joe NC, what part of NC are you in?  i know there are a few other PT members here in NC.  Matt in Raleigh, Will Simpson, I can't remember who was out practically on the coast... I'm sure there are more. 

[ZPalms]

5 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

@Joe NC, I read that also, but I don't know what "an air canal on the perimeter" looks like and I'm also not willing to dig any rhizome up at this time.  And i don't know how long the leaves of gigantea top-knots are. I read on a couple sites that the two are difficult to distinguish.  The only thing I have to go on is the overall height but that seems to be a poor indicator. 

 

When I first started getting into bamboo, I did not like Arundinaria as I thought it didn't look exotic enough.  I have changed my mind although I don't know if I would want to grow any in-town. 

On HWY 40 there are lots of stands of what appear to be Phyllostachus aurea that have become invasive.  They look awesome but I also don't like seeing invasive things taking over. 

There is a big field across the hwy here that is being over-run by pampas grass.  You don't see that in the PNW.

Omgggggg is that what those bamboos are called, I've been trying to figure the name of Phyllostachus aurea for so long!

Those bamboos look so cool and I've thought about digging one up multiple times but I also don't like a plant that I can't control in the long run and I don't have any experience with bamboo and I really want a timber type of bamboo without the fear of losing control

[BeyondTheGarden]

Phyllostachys, sorry about the spelling.  

[BeyondTheGarden]

I presume this is pampas, I'm not smart on grass. It looks great but evidently reproduces great as well. 

 

I forgot to get a pic of my roeb for @ZPalms.  I prefer reclinata but sadly my reclinata seedlings all got eaten by rats.  I should still have one roeb'x reclinata hybrid from Scott Wallace. But I can't find it at the moment. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

12 hours ago, ZPalms said:

... I don't have any experience with bamboo and I really want a timber type of bamboo without the fear of losing control

Maybe source out some Yushania or Fargesia species bamboo. They're a clumping bamboo and quite easy to manage.

[knikfar]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:50 PM, Jesse PNW said:

My house in Thurston County Washington is on the market and we got the keys to our new townhouse this morning.  Going to be quite an adjustment from the space and privacy of 2 acres in the PNW. 

Fort Liberty (formerly Bragg) NC. 

 

Brought half a truck bed full of stuff.  Lost a few things, I always expect dome attrition.  It was a week on the road and the camper shell gets hotter than ambient.  So I cooked a couple things. 

Mostly Trachycarpus, a handful of Sabals, some chamaedorea, a queen, Lytocaryum, butiagrus, a couple Mahonias, a fig and Olive i had laying around.  Probably gonna see how long it takes to kill a Jubaea with humidity.  

Speaking of humidity..  man.  The difference in climate here is staggering.  This is my 3rd time living here though wo not unexpected.  If you've ever been in the Army, ft Bragg is a wormhole.  No matter how far you move away from it, you're always moving right back toward it at the same time. 

We've had 2 offers on our WA house already but I don't like to count your chick's before they hatch so we'll see how it goes.  Breaking the lease here is surprisingly painless so we'll hopefully be getting into a proper house Lord willing.   And that means putting plants in the ground. 

It's nice to see Sabal palmetto and minor, Trachycarpus, Butias, and Cycas in-ground here.  Most of the plantings here just seem so forgotten-about.  Neglected, overlooked, abandoned.  I'll probably document some local palms but I know @ZPalms has documented a good handful already. 

Welcome back to North Carolina! Regarding your comment about palms being neglected looking, I totally agree. It's kind of the same here in Raleigh. So many old houses that almost look abandoned but they have two story tall windmill palms in the yard. 

 

[knikfar]

19 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

@Joe NC, what part of NC are you in?  i know there are a few other PT members here in NC.  Matt in Raleigh, Will Simpson, I can't remember who was out practically on the coast... I'm sure there are more. 

Remember me! I'm in Raleigh! Also, I have plenty of small sabals I grew from seed I collected from a survivor of the 2018 freeze. If you're ever in Raleigh, feel free to swing by. You can have as many as you like. 

[BeyondTheGarden]

3 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Maybe source out some Yushania or Fargesia species bamboo. They're a clumping bamboo and quite easy to manage.

I like Fargesia but they are reported to do poorly in heat and humidity.  I wonder how Chusquea would do.  There are a few bamboo nurseries here in NC, I would like to visit one eventually. 

@knikfar i saw you on my youtube, that was quick.  I need to think of a good channel/username suitable for NC to document any future palm growing and native plants.  I would probably use "inner banks" if I was further east. 

[knikfar]

5 minutes ago, Jesse PNW said:

I like Fargesia but they are reported to do poorly in heat and humidity.  I wonder how Chusquea would do.  There are a few bamboo nurseries here in NC, I would like to visit one eventually. 

@knikfar i saw you on my youtube, that was quick.  I need to think of a good channel/username suitable for NC to document any future palm growing and native plants.  I would probably use "inner banks" if I was further east. 

You could try "Sabals in the Sandhills" ,  "Where the palms begin" (I saw someone write that North Carolina is where you start to see inland palm trees when you're heading south from the north) or maybe "Tar Heel Tropics"?  

[BeyondTheGarden]

Plantation Palms... agh i guess you can't use that word in the 21st century.   Tobacco Trachycarpus.  Hillbilly Houseplants.  Appalachian Airoids.  Blueridge Butias.  Bluegrass Greenpalms.   Banjo Bahamas... ok I actually like that one. 

[Chester B]

On 8/30/2023 at 3:37 PM, Jesse PNW said:

There is a big field across the hwy here that is being over-run by pampas grass.  You don't see that in the PNW.

You do in Oregon, maybe not Washington.  Lots of big wild Pampas grass around, and it is everywhere out at the coast.  I noticed a volunteer in one of my neighbors gardens this summer.  

 

4 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

I like Fargesia but they are reported to do poorly in heat and humidity.

And yes Fargesia are a no go in the SE.  I always hear people talking of Bambusa Multiplex - Alphonse Karr Bamboo down in hotter areas.  That may be one to look into.

[BeyondTheGarden]

I'm reading that Bambusa multiplex is for 9A.  Phyllostachys bambusoides looks promising... but hard to tame...

Madake, Japanese Timber Bamboo, Giant Timber Bamboo

 

Max/Avg Height (ft.): 72, 40-50

Diameter: 4-6 inches

Hardiness: 5º F

USDA Zones: 7-10

 

Of all the temperate timber bamboos, this is the strongest. Although not native to Japan, Madake is the bamboo most preferred for building in that country. It is a good bamboo for places that get snow, but do not get colder that 5º F, since it sheds snow better than most other large bamboos. It is also very upright, not leaning to the sun as some others do.

[Las Palmas Norte]

The beast of hardy giant timber bamboo - Moso - Phyllostachys edulis. Can ultimately reach 90' tall.

Here's a cool one Phyllostachys edulis 'Jaquith' Moso | Bamboo Garden

[BeyondTheGarden]

Another Spring Lake NC Butia

[Joe NC]

18 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

I'm reading that Bambusa multiplex is for 9A.  Phyllostachys bambusoides looks promising... but hard to tame...

Madake, Japanese Timber Bamboo, Giant Timber Bamboo

I have Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr', it has done just fine here in Z8 for many years.  Has defoliated with temps in the upper teens, but comes back in the spring. It might suffer total cane dieback if it gets down lower than that, I don't know.  So far, has been a well behaved clumper.  

There is a large stand of some sort of timber bamboo deeper in the woods behind my house. The canes are as tall as the surrounding mature pines, and the largest are probably up tp 6" in diameter. I'm assuming it has been there for a very long time, as it has a footprint of 1.6 acres (I've measured it on google earth as it is clearly visible).  Obviously very invasive and there is virtually no other native plant growing under it.  It still looks pretty neat in that stand, like you would expect a panda to be sitting in there having lunch.

Also, I'm in Wilmington.

[BeyondTheGarden]

@Joe NC can you get a pic of the panda stand?  I'm intrigued.  

[ZPalms]

2 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

Another Spring Lake NC Butia

Did you take any seedlings, do seedling transplant from ground to pot survive?

[BeyondTheGarden]

It's in front of a law office, so I plead the fifth.  

[BeyondTheGarden]

A little better view.  I'll probably get a better video with my gopro as this is a decent specimen.  Although, as I recall @Chester B's big butia is only 3 or 4 feet taller overall, this one is much smaller in overall volume.  The trunk is not nearly as robust, the fronds are shorter, and the crown is overall significantly smaller.  I wonder if this is due to differing climates, moisture, and nutrient regiments, or if this may be a catarinensis, or at least have some cat lineage.   The smaller number of fronds could be due to overpruning or historic winter defoliation or damage.  Edit: If the video loads in low-res, you'll probably want to change it to HD and let it buffer.  Sorry for the cell phone video.   Edit number two; I think catarinensis is likely.  These Butias out here look different from the PNW grown ones, I observed very similar differences (that's not supposed to be a pun) when I went to Orlando, where they're almost certainly on the catarinensis side of the house.  To my knowledge.

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Jesse PNW

[GregVirginia7]

11 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

A little better view.  I'll probably get a better video with my gopro as this is a decent specimen.  Although, as I recall @Chester B's big butia is only 3 or 4 feet taller overall, this one is much smaller in overall volume.  The trunk is not nearly as robust, the fronds are shorter, and the crown is overall significantly smaller.  I wonder if this is due to differing climates, moisture, and nutrient regiments, or if this may be a catarinensis, or at least have some cat lineage.   The smaller number of fronds could be due to overpruning or historic winter defoliation or damage.  Edit: If the video loads in low-res, you'll probably want to change it to HD and let it buffer.  Sorry for the cell phone video.   Edit number two; I think catarinensis is likely.  These Butias out here look different from the PNW grown ones, I observed very similar differences (that's not supposed to be a pun) when I went to Orlando, where they're almost certainly on the catarinensis side of the house.  To my knowledge.

 

Guess that would be an unprotected Butia? Seems interior NC would sporadically get too cold for a palm like that so its seed may prove productive in the long run. Nice to see. That’s quite a move for you and your family for sure…the change in climate has to be stark, though you seem to have NC experience to back you up. All the best with the sale of your home and setting roots with the new one…maybe we can share some El Niño winter storm stories as NOVA and NC aren’t that far apart!

[BeyondTheGarden]

Sadly few minors here.  The only I have seen so far are at Sonic on Yadkin near Ft Liberty. 

 

[Joe NC]

On 9/1/2023 at 5:13 PM, Jesse PNW said:

@Joe NC can you get a pic of the panda stand?  I'm intrigued.  

I quickly dug through my phone for some old photos of the bamboo stand.

[BeyondTheGarden]

@Joe NC Totally Radicle!

Yes that's a botany pun.  Sorry for the plant dad jokes, I'm just very frond of them.  You can take them or leaf them. 

I took a quick little video of some gnarly invasive Phyllostachys just 5 min from where I'm currently staying.  

 

On my brand new youtube channel.  It's the same as the old channel, documenting plants for my own personal reference, with regional focus.  And hopefully someone can stumble across a video 10 years from now and find something interesting.  

However, I hate youtube now.  The way the algorithm works; it's always been a platform designed to pedal ads.  But the way the "machine" works nowadays,  if you search for "Butia", instead of showing you the most relevant results for the word "B-U-T-I-A", it pulls up somewhat relevant content that has the most views and the most ad-clicks or something.  Non-monetized channels get the fertilizer-end-of-the-stick.  I'm not in it for clicks or views or likes, but I don't like that I can't find the most relevant content anymore.  

Edit; I'm wondering if the white powder rings on the culms in the video, may indicate Phyllostachys dulcis. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by Jesse PNW

[BeyondTheGarden]

Already slipping back into old habits.  I like this method of stacking seedlings into a small footprint. 

 

[ZPalms]

Fire station in hope mills planted some sabal minor or sabal palmetto in their flower beds, most likely sabal minor since I can't imagine they would plant a grove of palmettos but that would be cool though 😂

Maybe it's a mix of palmetto and sabal minor but probably just minor 🤠

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by ZPalms

[ZPalms]

21 hours ago, Jesse PNW said:

@Joe NC Totally Radicle!

Yes that's a botany pun.  Sorry for the plant dad jokes, I'm just very frond of them.  You can take them or leaf them. 

I took a quick little video of some gnarly invasive Phyllostachys just 5 min from where I'm currently staying.  

 

On my brand new youtube channel.  It's the same as the old channel, documenting plants for my own personal reference, with regional focus.  And hopefully someone can stumble across a video 10 years from now and find something interesting.  

However, I hate youtube now.  The way the algorithm works; it's always been a platform designed to pedal ads.  But the way the "machine" works nowadays,  if you search for "Butia", instead of showing you the most relevant results for the word "B-U-T-I-A", it pulls up somewhat relevant content that has the most views and the most ad-clicks or something.  Non-monetized channels get the fertilizer-end-of-the-stick.  I'm not in it for clicks or views or likes, but I don't like that I can't find the most relevant content anymore.  

Edit; I'm wondering if the white powder rings on the culms in the video, may indicate Phyllostachys dulcis. 

Everytime I pass bamboo like this when I'm out in town, I'm always so tempted to pull one up and grow it at home but I'm terrified of bamboo spreading 😂

[Dwarf Fan]

9 hours ago, ZPalms said:

Everytime I pass bamboo like this when I'm out in town, I'm always so tempted to pull one up and grow it at home but I'm terrified of bamboo spreading 😂

Just get a clumping species, I have Seabreeze Bamboo Bambusa malingensis that is salt tolerant (I live on an Island surrounded by salt laden air that is why I choose it) cold hardy down to 20F (my local Palmageddon ‘21 low temp) and is known for staying in a nice tight clump, it has canes that top out at 2-2 1/2” in diameter and has unique vertical and lateral growth but the base doesn’t get bushy so you get a nice view of the clump of canes. It also grows incredibly fast and is much more sun and drought tolerant.

My Arundinaria gigantea “River Cane”/“Giant Cane” is painfully SLOW  in comparison, much more drought sensitive and has thinner canes. BUT it is the only bamboo native to North America and I found some growing naturally on the edge of one of my properties in Central Texas (FREE) so I dug up a few clumps potted them up and kept them as a container garden privacy screen for my back deck for about a year until I moved to the Island. Now they are in ground and line my perimeter fence next to my Seabreeze Bamboo. I can also verify Arundinaria gigantea can take temps down to 3F and still come back to life so if you are looking for cold hardy this one, while not technically a Bamboo should be much more bullet proof in colder regions than traditional bamboo.

Most of the commercial varieties are clumpers. As mentioned Alphonse Karr Bambusa multiplex is very popular and cold hardy to 12F-18F. Graceful Bamboo Bambusa textilis gracilis is also another popular clumper that is cold hardy to 12F-18F.

 I personally love the look of Palms next to Bamboo it just makes you feel like you are at a resort or on a tropical beach paradise somewhere exotic. Next add in a few “tropical” looking cold hardy flowers and with only 3 species of plants properly arranged together… BOOM instant “tropical paradise” in your backyard! 

[Scott W]

On 9/2/2023 at 10:58 PM, Joe NC said:

I quickly dug through my phone for some old photos of the bamboo stand.

 

@Joe NC, the bamboo pictured is either Moso or Henon.  I know in Anderson NC there is a HUGE grove of moso that's well known by most in the bamboo community, and I'm told it's truly a sight to see, one that's on my bucket list.

@Jesse PNW As for Bambusa species that far north, I don't know of anyone growing anything outside of Multiplex varieties.  You could always try but finding anything local outside of Multiplex might be impossible, but you can always mail order from a source like Tropical Bamboo in south Florida.  Also, the University of Georgia has a good listing of clumping species they grow in their Coastal Botanical Gardens that might help you out.

As for runners, they are tameable if you plant the proper rhizome barrier like Bamboo Shield.  Without it, yes, you will regret the day you ever planted a runner in a residential setting.  Definitely will need to rent a trench machine to install it, unless you like digging a two to three foot deep trench by hand.

Regardless, bamboo needs annual maintenance that if not performed, even with clumpers, can make your bamboo unsightly.  

 

[ZPalms]

6 hours ago, Dwarf Fan said:

Just get a clumping species, I have Seabreeze Bamboo Bambusa malingensis that is salt tolerant (I live on an Island surrounded by salt laden air that is why I choose it) cold hardy down to 20F (my local Palmageddon ‘21 low temp) and is known for staying in a nice tight clump, it has canes that top out at 2-2 1/2” in diameter and has unique vertical and lateral growth but the base doesn’t get bushy so you get a nice view of the clump of canes. It also grows incredibly fast and is much more sun and drought tolerant.

My Arundinaria gigantea “River Cane”/“Giant Cane” is painfully SLOW  in comparison, much more drought sensitive and has thinner canes. BUT it is the only bamboo native to North America and I found some growing naturally on the edge of one of my properties in Central Texas (FREE) so I dug up a few clumps potted them up and kept them as a container garden privacy screen for my back deck for about a year until I moved to the Island. Now they are in ground and line my perimeter fence next to my Seabreeze Bamboo. I can also verify Arundinaria gigantea can take temps down to 3F and still come back to life so if you are looking for cold hardy this one, while not technically a Bamboo should be much more bullet proof in colder regions than traditional bamboo.

Most of the commercial varieties are clumpers. As mentioned Alphonse Karr Bambusa multiplex is very popular and cold hardy to 12F-18F. Graceful Bamboo Bambusa textilis gracilis is also another popular clumper that is cold hardy to 12F-18F.

 I personally love the look of Palms next to Bamboo it just makes you feel like you are at a resort or on a tropical beach paradise somewhere exotic. Next add in a few “tropical” looking cold hardy flowers and with only 3 species of plants properly arranged together… BOOM instant “tropical paradise” in your backyard! 

These are great recommendations, Theirs so many varieties of bamboo and so much information it can be very overwhelming of what might do good or what might do bad, especially cold hardy varieties. SeaBreeze Bamboo looks so nice, The other ones look nice but they seem to bushy looking to me and I want something with thicker canes but 20F can be common here some winters. If the ones in town were invasive I'd just dig one up because I know they survive every winter and they have thick bold canes that aren't hard to miss

I saw on a youtube video that Gracilis Bamboo has a lean to it or it curves down? Is the curve intense or something?

Edited September 4, 2023 by ZPalms