Friday, July 9, 2010

A Bamboo For Every Situation

A Bamboo For Every Situation
Bamboo is a very useful plant in your landscape. It can be used in a variety of ways to accentuate different aspects of your yard.
As an accent it can break up a monotonous hedge row or tree line. As a specimen it can give a powerful statement. Even as a simple hedge it can be used to block sound and wind from annoying roads and open areas.
When most people think of bamboo they think of fast paced, overtaking runners with no constraints to how far they can spread and how much area they can take over. When I think of bamboo I think of the clumping varieties that are easily controllable and yet still reach the height and thicknesss of their spreading brethren.
At Mariposa Nursery we ONLY carry CLUMPING bamboo.
To determine what type of bamboo you want there are a few questions you have to ask.
First - How tall is the maximum height that you want when it is full grown?
Second - What type of use are you putting it to? Are you using it as an accent, specimen, windbreak, etc...?
Third - Do You have the width/depth to handle the spread? Even though the base of a clumping bamboo takes years to spread out, the top does not. The tops are leafy & heavy so the shoots bend & lean over slightly causing the plant to look much fuller & take up much more space at the top.
Once you have determined that you have the right spot for a bamboo you can now begin to choose which type. These are the varieties that we carry because they seem to be the hardiest, most interesting & easiest to grow in your yard.
Golden Goddess - Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess' - 10-15' That grows solid green with .5" culms. Great for screening
Alphonse Karr - Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' - 20-30' That grows yellow with a green stripe with 1.5" culms. Another great screening bamboo.
Oldhamii - Bambusa oldhamii - 60-80' That grows solid green with 4-6" culms. Massive timber bamboo.
Textilis Gracilis - Bambusa textilis var. gracilis - 30-40' That grows green with 2" culms. Great specimen bamboo.
Blue Bamboo - Bambusa chungii - 30-40' That grows green with a blue powder coating & has 2" culms. VERY SHOWY specimen.
Dwarf Buddha Belly 'Wamin' - Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin' 10' That grows green with large swellings at the nodes of the 3" culms. Great For Pots & Partial Shade. VERY SHOWY!
Asian Lemon - Bambusa eutaloides 'Viridivitatta' Asian Lemon - 20-25' That grows a peachy color when they first sprout then turn a yellow with a green stripe with 1" culms. New variety in Florida.
Mexican Weeping - Otatea acuminata aztecorum - 6-10' that grows a dark green with light green leaves on .25" culms. VERY SHOWY weeping habit that is a great accent or potted plant. Graceful movement in the wind.
Golden Hawaiian - Bambusa vulgaris 'Vitatta' - 35' That grows yellow with green stripes on 4" Culms. Great Windbreak. Very Sturdy. Not Cold Hardy Below 30
Angel Mist - Dendrocalamus minor amoenus - 35' That grows green with a white powder coating on the 3" culms. Great large specimen.
Black Timor - Bambusa lako - 30-40' That grows green then turns black as the 2.5-3" culms mature. VERY SHOWY. Not Cold Hardy Below 30
Sunburst - Bambusa variabalis viridistriata - 45' That grows yellow with a green stripe on 2.5" culms. Great cold hardy alternative to Golden Hawaiian variety.