April
2007
Clumping Bamboo0
So far, we have focussed on running bamboo, because it is the bamboo that sends out the shoots that cause the most trouble for gardeners.
However, there is another kind fo bamboo, called “clumping bamboo”. Instead of sending out runner, you guessed it, running bamboo stays in a clump and does not disturb the areas around it.
There are over 500 varieties of clumping bamboo, and while it is more well behaved, it is not as versatile as the running type, being only suitable for zones seven to 10 in the US. It is not as adaptable to temperate climates, as the running bamboo.
Of all of the varieties grown in the states, the variety Bambusa is the most popular. The most regular species are Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’, Bambusa multiplex ‘Golden Goddess’, and also Bambusa multiplex ‘Weeping Willow’ varietals.
So what do these three varietals look like, and what are their “selling points?
Alphonse Karr - varigated, grows quickly, culms of one or two inches as up to fifty feet in hight.
Golden Godess - bright gold stalks with delicate greener leaves, grows quickly to fourty feet and can be pruned for hedges
Weeping Willow - as the name suggests the outer culms lean over, resembling a greaceful willow tree, narrower than the other two and “only” growing to a height of thirty five feet, but grows very densely.