Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

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southlatropical
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Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by southlatropical »

B. Mutabilis and B. Kanapaha are thought by some to be the same, but Mutabilis is usually listed with a minimum temp of 18F while Kanapaha is usually listed at 21F. I have some Kanapaha and would like to put it in the back yard but only if it has the same cold tolerance as Mutabilis. My back yard is fully exposed to the north and gets much more frost and cold wind than the rest of the property. So I am putting only bamboo that can take 18F or less in the back yard. 21F is about as cold as our winters will usually get but I don't want to have half dead bamboo in my yard every spring. Most winters 23-25 is the norm. 18F is more of a once every 7yrs event. So, is anyone growing Kanapaha that gets exposed to around 18-21 degrees most winters? How does it hold up?
mantis
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by mantis »

They are the same plant.

Besides that, the listed temp. ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt... there are many other conditions that effect the plants tolerance as well: wind, humidity, length of time at that temp, etc. Hitting 18* for an hour might not cause damage, but if it is 18* for 6 hours it is a completely different ball game.

Also, a lot of the min. temps. are a best guess and are not perfect.
southlatropical
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by southlatropical »

Are you growing it? Our climates should be the same. I was hoping to hear from someone on the gulf coast that is growing it.
mantis
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Re: RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by mantis »

southlatropical wrote:Are you growing it? Our climates should be the same. I was hoping to hear from someone on the gulf coast that is growing it.
I only have it in a pot. My yard is too small to put in the ground, so I'll keep it in a pot until I buy some more land. There are quite a few people in the Houston area that are growing it, but we haven't gotten below the mid-20's for quite a few years now. I don't think it's been below 20* since I moved here 11 years ago.
southlatropical
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by southlatropical »

Mine is also in a pot. It filled out a 5gal this year and I'm leaving it out in a very sheltered spot this winter unless we go below 23F. Houston is almost identicle to my climate but I'm in a rural area so we are usually a few degrees colder than Houston in winter. Last winter our coldest temp was 24F. I am thinking it is going in the ground this spring. It would take a very out of the ordinary winter to kill it next year. I don't mind having to crear out damaged culms once every 7-10 yrs. I just don't want it to look like crap every spring.
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Re: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by Roy »

southlatropical wrote:B. Mutabilis and B. Kanapaha are thought by some to be the same, but Mutabilis is usually listed with a minimum temp of 18F while Kanapaha is usually listed at 21F. I have some Kanapaha and would like to put it in the back yard but only if it has the same cold tolerance as Mutabilis. My back yard is fully exposed to the north and gets much more frost and cold wind than the rest of the property. So I am putting only bamboo that can take 18F or less in the back yard. 21F is about as cold as our winters will usually get but I don't want to have half dead bamboo in my yard every spring. Most winters 23-25 is the norm. 18F is more of a once every 7yrs event. So, is anyone growing Kanapaha that gets exposed to around 18-21 degrees most winters? How does it hold up?
Where do you see this difference in temp between B. tx. 'Mutablpaha" and B. tx. 'Kanapabilis'? Bambooweb.info gallery, based upon ABS Source List, have both of this one listed as 18 F.
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Re: RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by Roy »

mantis wrote:They are the same plant.

Besides that, the listed temp. ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt... there are many other conditions that effect the plants tolerance as well: wind, humidity, length of time at that temp, etc. Hitting 18* for an hour might not cause damage, but if it is 18* for 6 hours it is a completely different ball game.

Also, a lot of the min. temps. are a best guess and are not perfect.
Mantis,

If your boss held a tighter rein on you at work, then I would have beat you to it. I'm retired and I can't even keep ahead of you. :D
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by Roy »

Also, if you want to save about 50 percent on your purchase, then buy it under the name of B. tx. "Mutabiilis".
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southlatropical
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Re: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by southlatropical »

Roy wrote:
southlatropical wrote:B. Mutabilis and B. Kanapaha are thought by some to be the same, but Mutabilis is usually listed with a minimum temp of 18F while Kanapaha is usually listed at 21F. I have some Kanapaha and would like to put it in the back yard but only if it has the same cold tolerance as Mutabilis. My back yard is fully exposed to the north and gets much more frost and cold wind than the rest of the property. So I am putting only bamboo that can take 18F or less in the back yard. 21F is about as cold as our winters will usually get but I don't want to have half dead bamboo in my yard every spring. Most winters 23-25 is the norm. 18F is more of a once every 7yrs event. So, is anyone growing Kanapaha that gets exposed to around 18-21 degrees most winters? How does it hold up?
Where do you see this difference in temp between B. tx. 'Mutablpaha" and B. tx. 'Kanapabilis'? Bambooweb.info gallery, based upon ABS Source List, have both of this one listed as 18 F.
Online nurseries usually list the temp difference. I would imagine that one of them listed the difference first and others followed. I do plan to buy more under the name Mutabilis as you suggested. The one I have was obtained through a trade under the name Kanapaha.
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by mr.mike »

I have them both and neither has been exposed to temperatures colder than 28* yet but both look good. On that 28* night the wind was howling @ around 20 with gusts up over 30 and they never lost a leaf and never showed any signs of stress afterward. I would plant it where ever you want and forget about it.

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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by mike best »

I don't have time to investigate this but give Kanapaha botanical gardens a call (352) 372-4981.

ask how cold it gets in Gainesville,Fl and if their premier stand of Chinese royal bamboo, Kanapaha (Wong Chuk) ever looks bad.

I think it gets to 17 degrees there often.

I think they had the earliest specimen of this bamboo in the states and thus it's name sake, cant remember the story at this time but I think it was planted in the early 1980s.

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southlatropical
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by southlatropical »

I did not realize that Kanapaha was in Gainesville. I've only heard of it in reference to the bamboo. That climate is identicle to mine so that's great news. It's going in the ground this spring. Thanks
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RE: Mutabilis and Kanapaha minimum temp?

Post by john voss »

i've been growing kanapaha and ventricosa for four or more years--planted at the same time anyway. ventricosa is ten times bigger, but the kanapaha is hardier winterwise and comes back faster each spring. it will catch up and pass it someday, i'm guessing. both do better than oldhamii, but the malingensis has done the best. they all looked kind of funny last week- completely mushed to the ground covered with six inches of wet snow- all sprang (word?) up two days later.
zone 8b near folsom,la.
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