Bamboo are among the most useful plants on Earth. They are beautiful to look at and make effective visual screens, as all are evergreen. They also make delicious edible shoots in the summer which can be cooked and eaten. Harvesting new shoots can be a means of controlling its spread. Bamboo is shade tolerant, but doesn't tend to spread under shady conditions, so planting in a shady location can also be a means of controlling its spread. Making a shallow trench 8-10 inches deep around a clump can also help to contain it. Left unchecked, in a well-watered sunny location spreading bamboos will become an ever increasing grove.
Clumping bamboo will not spread but the spreading bamboo types will spread to varying degrees and speed. Each variety is listed as clumping or spreading.
*Bamboo cannot be shipped to Hawaii.*
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Beautiful yellow canes occasionally with a faint green stripe and a few canes will have a zig zag growth near the base. In bright sunshine, some older canes will have a red tint. Sun or shade. Golden Crookstem Bamboo has a spreading habit and is good for windbreaks, privacy screens, or specimen planting. Edible shoots, growing into 2 inch diameter canes up to 25 feet tall. Very hardy to Zone 6.
The most spectacular of the giant bamboos. Distinctly beautiful golden yellow canes with frequent thin green vertical striping. Golden Giant Timber Bamboo has the best golden cane coloring of any of the hardy bamboos. Very vigorous shoots, 3-5" diameters growing up to 50ft. in one summer in established groves. Sun or shade, but prefers sun. Mature, in ground plants can survive down to -5°F. Zone 6-10.
A form of crookstem bamboo with yellow canes turning red in sunlight. Can be grown in pots, or in hedging, or as specimen plants. Flexible upright canes can range from 12 to 26 ft. and up to 2 inches in diameter. Canes of Spectabilis Bamboo are generally very straight, but occasionally will have a zig zag pattern near the base. Fairly compact in shade, can be an aggressive spreader in the sun. Edible shoots. Also known as Yellow Groove Bamboo. Very hardy, to Zone 6.
Establishes quickly to send up 2-3" diameter white shoots that are sweet enough to be eaten raw when just emerging. Likes sun to part shade. Sweet Shoot Bamboo has a spreading habit with pretty, thick green canes bending toward the light when young, then straightening with age growing up to 35-40 ft. Dense, evergreen foliage and thick canes for its height. Hardy to 0° F. Zone 7-10.
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