By Dave Fazzio, co-host of KSRO’s Garden Talk show, SRJC horticulture instructor, and owner of Sonoma Mission Gardens.
Here it is near the beginning of July and the timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) is well into its journey skyward. The black covered stems, known as ‘culms’ in bamboo, push the earth aside and proceed at an amazing rate - sometimes 2 to 3 feet per day - on their upward journey. In 3 to 4 weeks they stand at 45 to 65 feet tall and sway in the breeze. The progress is so rapid that if you sit and watch for a while you can literally see it grow. It is truly a marvel of nature, and in 6 to 8 weeks its journey will virtually halt until next year.
Most bamboos have shallow roots and do not root much below 20 to 24 inches, yet this 45-plus foot giant will tolerate wind gusts of 60 to 70mph. The tips will dip and sway, slap the ground and return to standing.
Bamboo emerges from the ground at the girth it will retain for its lifetime. The culms’ stems on timber bamboo are usually a maximum of 4 inches in diameter. Timber bamboo produces the most sought-after culms for furniture making as well as great tasting shoots.
There are many other bamboos that perform well throughout Northern California but more often than not when one suggests growing bamboo to a homeowner the reaction is negative and generally rather fearful, as if you’ve suggested that they raise lions in their backyard. Bamboo is not always the most well-behaved individual in the yard, however, choosing the right bamboo makes life much easier.
There are basically two types of bamboo as far as growth habit is concerned. There are running bamboos and clumping varieties. The runners, sent out from the mother plant, are known as rhizomes, which are basically underground stems that travel in almost any direction they desire. The rhizomes will send up new culms along the way or at their ends which cause the plant to spread and ‘move’ around the yard. The clumping bamboos are better-mannered and send their culms skyward only at the base of the plant, so the clump gets larger each season but doesn’t go next door to visit the neighbors when you’re not looking.
The running bamboos can be held in check with a little preplanning, such as by putting them in decorative pots or containers or creating a container in the ground. The container needs to be a minimum of 24 to 26 inches deep and the top must project 4-6 inches above ground and completely surround the area in which one wishes to contain the bamboo. This can be done with galvanized metal sheeting, concrete or a simple heavy-duty plastic sheeting known as root barrier. The planting then needs to be checked once or twice yearly to insure that the delinquent runners are not climbing the barrier and trying to escape which they will if they are not supervised. This sounds like a lot of work, and, admittedly, it may not be for everyone, but the plant is so dramatic and majestic that I find it to be well worth the trouble. If you construct your container properly at the outset, you will not have much trouble going forward.
Some bamboos that perform extremely well in Northern California are the well known Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea), Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), Golden Goddess (Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess') and Alphonse Karr (Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’).
Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) is a running bamboo that will reach a height of 20 to 25 feet with a culm diameter up to 1¾ inches. This bamboo will tolerate temperatures down to 0ºF. This bamboo’s new culms are green and with exposure to sun they take on the golden yellow color. One factor that distinguishes this bamboo is the frequency of almost a stacked appearance of the internodes at the base of the culm. They produce leaves almost to the base so they make an excellent screen choice or barrier.
Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) is also a running bamboo, but doesn’t move as fast as golden. It will reach a height of 35 to 50 feet and has a maximum diameter of 3¼ inches. It will also tolerate temperatures down to 0ºF. The culms emerge green and eventually (maybe 1 to 2 years) turn black. Black Bamboo is normally much smaller in size in cultivation than it is in its native habitat.
Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’ is a clumping bamboo that can grow 15 to 35 feet in height with a maximum culm diameter of 1½ inches and will tolerate temperatures down to 12ºF. The culms of this clumper are yellow with irregular green striping and quite often show a pinkish rose blush in the younger culms.
Bambusa multiplex ‘Golden Goddess’ is also a clumper and is fairly short - usually 8 to 10 feet tall with a culm diameter of 1/3 to ½ inches. Because of its smaller height and leaf size it lends itself well to both container or in ground plantings, or for smaller gardens.
There are many other bamboos that grow well in our area from varietals that are 6” to 1 foot tall (virtually ground cover-like), to varietals that come close to competing in height and size to timber bamboo.
Whether you are looking for a screen, a windbreak or simply a stunning accent plant, you should consider planting a bamboo.
Bamboos may be purchased at specialty nurseries in the county. Sonoma Mission Gardens in Sonoma, Neon Palm Nursery in Santa Rosa, Bamboo Sourcery in Sebastopol and Garden Delights Nursery in Penngrove all carry a good variety, and these nurseries all have experienced staff who can help you decide which bamboo is right for your garden.