Hardy Bamboo For Temperate Climates Six Of The Very Best

Writen by Peter Corbett

If you have ever considered growing bamboo in the temperate regions then you should select your plants with care and paying good attention to both the cold tolerance and eventual size of the plants you choose. Prehaps the best behaved group and the most cold tolerant are the Phyllostachys bamboos.

There is an amazing selection available including some stunning coloured canes and and culm sheaths and foilage that range from bronze greed to light Jade in colour. I am pleased to reccomend what I consider the following bamboos as six of the very best to grace your garden.

Phyllostachys is a genus of bamboo from NorthLowlands of China. Some are extremely tough cookies and very exposure tolerant. This genus offers some of the best ornamental bamboos that are truly hardy in the United Kingdom. In their native warmer regions of China their root system which is intermediate can wander, however in the cooler more temperate zones of the UK, apart from one or two exceptions they are remarkably well behaved and reliably clump forming with slow lateral spread.

Most are quite easy to grow with only an annual hair cut and brush out to worry about. A good organic mulching and an annual feed is always appreciated. Remember to let fallen leaves compost down around the plant to replace valuable silica. Most Phyllostachys prefer full sun but some will tolerate light or dappled shade, apart from that they are not particular about the soil they are in but preferring heavier richer soils that can be kept evenly moist but not waterlogged. Once the plants are established they are fairly drought tolerant however they need to be kept watered until they have a proper foothold.

On the whole mostly pest free. Maybe an occasional attack of Aphids Mealy bugs Vine weevil or the dreaded mite. If you don't mind chemicals spray with a propriety insecticide or alternatively use one of the organic sprays now available. If mites are the problem cut down the canes and burn them along with any fallen leaves and spray the surrounding area with miticide.

Phyllostachys bambusoides lacrimadeae. The Goddess Tears' The Goddess Tears Bamboo. New from China comes an unusual ornamental form of this wonderful species which can be stunning. It has a similar vigour and stature. Black-purple markings on mature canes make this different from all others. It has been greatly underestimated since its introduction and there are very few of these around as yet, but that wont be the case for long. An admirable plant for a specimen.

Phyllostachys Rivalis Phyllostachys Rivalis. Vary Rare. Similar in form to Bissetii however extreamly rare. I do not know of any other sources in the UK other than The Pot and Grass Company. According to Ohrnberge the authority: 4 meters in height 1.5 2.0 cm in diameter. Originally from Guangdong, Nanxiong, and Fujan province. It grows mainly along the banks of mountain streams. This species was introduced into Britain possibly as a single plant from China which soon seeded and died. A single seedling derived from this plant and is grown in Germany. The Pot and Grass Company Rivalis has been independently reintroduced from China in 2006.

Phyllostachys vivax. Huangwenzhu Inversa This is a fairly recent introduction and reported to be wonderfully reliable. Green canes with a thick yellow stripe or stripes. Occasionally if you are lucky you will get a reversion on some of the culms. When this happens these culms revert back to the golden Aureocaulis and they will produce both coloured canes side by side. Two for the price of one, that cant be bad. Tidy with upright habit and sparse in leaf showing the canes of to good effect. It can tolerate some shade.

Phyllostachys nigra. Hei zhu. The Black Bamboo the famous black bamboo is unique. It is the only bamboo to produce truly black culms which contrast beautifully with the short bottle green leaves. This a slowish grower and although the height in its native China can reach as much as 14 meters, it rarely makes the 5 meter mark in temperate climate like the UK. However this really is a stunner of a bamboo and justly deserves all the praise it gets. The culms emerge pink/cinnamon then turning green and then ripen off over the next twelve months to a gorgeous shiny Japanned black. Looks wonderful in an oriental style garden or breathtaking as a specimen on its own.

Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda. The Walking Stick Bamboo. A very leafy bamboo which is a relatively small in stature and that enjoys light shade. This wonderful and still rare bamboo was only brought out of China for the first time in 1987. Used for centuries to make walking sticks by the Yi people in Szechwan this bamboo remained a closely kept secret. This particular Chimonobambusa is gorgeous, large saucer shaped nodes and dainty leaves call for a solitary position to show off this beauty. Keep in a sheltered spot for best performance. It can spread so in a small garden best confined to pots and planters.

Himalayacalamus hookerianus Moonraker; The famous Blue Bamboo. One of the most beautiful bamboos. It hails from the lower slopes of the Himalayas and Bhutan. The culms on emergence are blue with a hint of claret or purple, ageing to a pale barley gold. Best in a cool shaded position away from winds.

Enjoy your bamboo and your garden.

Peter Corbett. Is a collector of rare grasses and ornamental bamboos and written several articles on the subject. Peter advices and assists his wife Heather who runs the Pot and Grass Company Nursery and mail order company specialising in bamboos and grasses. Peter has a keen interest in Chinese metaphysics and has lived and travelled extensively through SE Asia and mainland China. Peter has written a book on Feng Shui "Qi Concepts for energy engineering" which is available for purchase from the Pot and Grass company online store or available as a free down load to customers.