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I am in Fl but an avid bamboo grower / collector . Excellent info can be found at Tropical Bamboo Nursery - The Bamboo Plant Source I would recommend Only Clumping species, running species can send out shoot more than 20' and are almost impossible to destroy when they take over. Which they will !!!!! There are many bamboo nurseries online. and many beautiful variations.... "wamin" or Buddah belly make a thick screen that does not spread much and is really cool loooking
Good Luck
Ok-I did a search and looked like this Muhlenbergia dumosa - Bamboo Muhly Grasswas a good bet for us.Now they say that it will grow to 5 feet.Clicked on the pic for more info and took me to another site (US bamboo growers?)
Couldn't see this species and looks like min height for any species is 16 feet.
So do they mean 5 feet if you leave in the pot?
Thanks
Ok-I did a search and looked like this Muhlenbergia dumosa - Bamboo Muhly Grasswas a good bet for us.Now they say that it will grow to 5 feet.Clicked on the pic for more info and took me to another site (US bamboo growers?)
Couldn't see this species and looks like min height for any species is 16 feet.
So do they mean 5 feet if you leave in the pot?
Thanks
Think we might be restricted as zone 8 and most clumping species are tropical.Would be between house and 10ft fence so fairly well protected. Another problem might be our clay soil as it says well drained. Maybe best in pots?
susan, I looked at that site, too. I think that the plants from Sichuan,China would be good here. We have very similar climates. Our soil might be a bit of an issue, however, I see bamboo growing here, so, if the ground is well tilled when planted, it might be ok.
I have done tons of research and planted bamboo as a screening from my neighbor and their zoo-like amount of pets. I rented a trencher and put in 30in wide 60mil plastic bamboo barrier around the whole planting and also plan to root prune the rhizomes.
Running bamboo is pretty invasive so be careful and pick the right ones. Also make sure to choose a bamboo with leaves that are fairly low or else the bamboos leaves will be up too high for a good screen.
I bought 15 arrow bamboo plants from a very nice couple on the way to Wilmington.
Never thought I'd be talking Bamboo on the Charlotte forum ... but have loved Bamboo since I was a kid and lived in Asia for many years so it is a pleasure.
You really only have 2 limitations temperature ( zone) and personal taste or aesthetic. Bamboo grows fast in general, in Charlotte, depending on variety I think you could count on a 50% - 100% increase in the size of the clump per year. and the individual culms or canes will have the same increase in diameter and hight ... again variety dependent.
Bamboo is a grass and can range from 12'' to more than 100'. colors can be white, green, yellow, black, brown, blue, and even red. In general it is easy to prune and maintain... if you cut the growing tip, it stops at that hight and sends out lateral branches. If it sends out shoots in an area you don't like, just kick them to snap the sprout and that sprout dies.
Again I will say .. Do Not Plant Running Bamboo !!!!! once established it can not be destroyed !! ( well ok it can but why go through the hassle time and money) there have been many lawsuits from neighbors with invasive species, which gave Bamboo a bad name as a residential plant in the 70s-90s. plastic, concrete, RoundUp, not even kryptonite will stop the most aggressive varieties!!
I hope this is not too long ... but as I said I like the subject.!
I looked at what you found (Muhlenbergia dumosa) and from what I could see it is native to Arizona and New Mexico so that means it like Hot and Dry..... Not Charlotte !
Also many bamboo varieties that are listed in warmer areas will grow fine in NC but they will generally be shorter and slower growing.
Never thought I'd be talking Bamboo on the Charlotte forum ... but have loved Bamboo since I was a kid and lived in Asia for many years so it is a pleasure.
You really only have 2 limitations temperature ( zone) and personal taste or aesthetic. Bamboo grows fast in general, in Charlotte, depending on variety I think you could count on a 50% - 100% increase in the size of the clump per year. and the individual culms or canes will have the same increase in diameter and hight ... again variety dependent.
Bamboo is a grass and can range from 12'' to more than 100'. colors can be white, green, yellow, black, brown, blue, and even red. In general it is easy to prune and maintain... if you cut the growing tip, it stops at that hight and sends out lateral branches. If it sends out shoots in an area you don't like, just kick them to snap the sprout and that sprout dies.
Again I will say .. Do Not Plant Running Bamboo !!!!! once established it can not be destroyed !! ( well ok it can but why go through the hassle time and money) there have been many lawsuits from neighbors with invasive species, which gave Bamboo a bad name as a residential plant in the 70s-90s. plastic, concrete, RoundUp, not even kryptonite will stop the most aggressive varieties!!
I hope this is not too long ... but as I said I like the subject.!
I looked at what you found (Muhlenbergia dumosa) and from what I could see it is native to Arizona and New Mexico so that means it like Hot and Dry..... Not Charlotte !
Also many bamboo varieties that are listed in warmer areas will grow fine in NC but they will generally be shorter and slower growing.
There's various methods for preventing them from running but you do have to be diligent. Bamboo gets a bad rep from people just planting it in the ground like any other plant and then it spreads. I'm going with the root pruning and bamboo barrier method. Some people make a raised bed or a trench around it and fill it with pea gravel or mulch.
It's not that invasive. If it were, the whole world would be overrun by bamboo and pandas. I mean, I put in a bunch of plants and mine are hardly growing despite watering and fertilizing pretty regularly.
There's various methods for preventing them from running but you do have to be diligent. Bamboo gets a bad rep from people just planting it in the ground like any other plant and then it spreads. I'm going with the root pruning and bamboo barrier method. Some people make a raised bed or a trench around it and fill it with pea gravel or mulch.
It's not that invasive. If it were, the whole world would be overrun by bamboo and pandas. I mean, I put in a bunch of plants and mine are hardly growing despite watering and fertilizing pretty regularly.
LOL -imagining Pandas sitting at our patio area drinking iced tea!Wonder what the cat would make of that?
Thanks for the info.
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Bamboo Thoughts
