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What kind of bamboo is this?

2 years ago

Hi all, I'm hoping someone can help me ID this bamboo plant. I found it growing in Queen Elizabeth park in Vancouver, BC (this photo was taken today, February 20th 22'). I'm thinking it is a fargesia type, as I think if it was a runner it would have spread all over the place considering how old it must be. It was about 20 ish feet high and about 10 feet wide. Vancouver has a really moist climate (Lots of rainfall throughout the year) and I believe somewhere around a zone 7-8. This bamboo looks like it may be in its own little microclimate as there were a lot of big trees growing around it.
I live in the interior of British Columbia (zone 6, semi desert) and would like to try some bamboo and while I know it's doubtful bamboo would grow this well because we're a much drier atmosphere, I'd like to give it a go.
Thanks in advance!!

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Comments (4)

Embothrium
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
It's a Phyllostachys. Probably P. vivax. Anyway, I don't think there is much scope for bamboo where you live - it would definitely have to be a liberally watered situation, with associated humidity. Like they have at the Yakima Area Arboretum. Yet even there if they have any bamboo, I don't remember it.
HU-306320811
last year
How much snow do you get and what is the average low temperature?

If you are zone 6, there is a lot of temperate bamboo that could theoretically grow there.

Moso (not what you have pictured)

Could be a vivax, but it's too hard to identify from these pictures. Vivax is typically time walled bamboo and useful for decoration and craft products, but not for building or furniture.

Zone 6 would grow:

Golden: (which is actually a green bamboo, not pictured)

David bissit: (not pictured)

Yellow Grove: (not pictured)

Japanese Timber: (not pictured)

Moso: (not pictured)

And the list goes on.

There are over 1500 types of bamboo and cross species, so it is very difficult to identify in most cases unless someone is there looking at it. Lifelong bamboo specialists have a hard time identifying bamboo, so don't feel discouraged.
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If you're in Clear Lake area go to Maas Nursery (maasnursery.com) he has a good bamboo page on his site. You can LOOK at the bamboo there and get some expert advice, but he is WAYWAYWAY overpriced (e.g. $249 for a 3gal phyl. nigra). Also there used to be a really good bamboo nursery in Pasadena at 2525 Genoa Red Bluff Road...but I drove by there (quickly) about a month ago and thought I saw it closed/gone, need to check. If you are anywhere near Houston and really want to see some nice bamboo, you need to head to Mercer Arboretum in Humble, especially during one of their "events". I have been VERY Happy with nice full hedge from Bambusa Multiplex Alphonse Karr here in Clear Lake area. I have a similar issue where I wanted to block back of neighbor's home from "peeking" into my pool; 5 x 5gal Alphonse Karr (from that Pasadena grove I mentioned $50/ea...plus he threw in a FREE 3gal. phyl nigra) and a year later I have 10-12 ft shoots this year and once they fill out = mission accomplished...hoping for 15-20 ft next year!?!?! We had relatively hard freeze (25 oF..brrr) in 2011 winter here and the A.K. grove in Pasadena had some burnt leaves near the top but was filling in nicely again when we purchased divisions.
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It is not a bamboo at all, it is called Arundo Donax. It grows everywhere here also. Kt
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Bamboo is much less demanding than many other plants. I had a grove of Yellow Groove for 30 years that did just fine in the shade of 80' tall fir trees. The bamboo never got direct sun. However, one year I decided to get some more light into the yard by limbing-up the firs about 25'. The next year the Yellow Groove put out some new culms that were at least a third taller than they had ever been before. The bottom line is that you have a completely healthy clump of Yellow Groove that would probably get somewhat bigger/taller if it were in full sun all day. You should think of the "full sun" label for bamboo as meaning it can tolerate full sun, not that it needs it.
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It's not really possible to identify from these pictures. You will need to let the culms mature and grow. There are like 1500 types of bamboo and cross species... There is a large culm that is cut, so you are probably looking at a 30-60ft bamboo species there.
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Suze Stevenson
last year
The height is truly amazing for bamboo.
Embothrium
last year
last modified: last year
If you are zone 6, there is a lot of temperate bamboo that could theoretically grow there

Not usual in semi-arid interior British Columbia. Maybe in a planting island surrounded by water and buildings.

The height is truly amazing

There are tropical bamboos that grow 100 ft. tall with stems of proportionate diameter; hardy bamboos reaching approximations of half this height (as in 40-60 ft.) are seen on conducive growing sites.

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