Had my first visitor!

Other things that involve bamboo

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rfgpitt
Posts: 1021
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:28 am
Location info: 24
Location: Zone 6a - SW of Pittsburgh - 15317

Had my first visitor!

Post by rfgpitt »

I finally had someone come over to look and learn a little about bamboo(non friend/acquaintance prior to finding out I had bamboo). I gave her a little YG and rubro starts, as well as heteroclada seedlings. Really a rewarding feeling. She had received a few divisions from Vietnamese (how she described) a few years ago of 1 species and wanted more and or bigger diameter stuff. Told her that this is just about everyones goal in Zone 5/6.

She said she was going to bring a piece of her stuff for me to ID. I was expecting Arundo Donax, Knotweed or at best Yellow Groove. Turns out it was an all green Phyllo doing very well. I believe it to be Bissetii, but not quite sure. The good news is, she invited me over to take some!

I also went to the Pittsburgh zoo this weekend. Prior to my trip I sent an email and got a reply back from the curator of hort. that they don't have plans to add any more Phyllostachys. They just planned on putting in a few clumpers (Fargesias). I told him to send me a heads up if he/they decide on species and I would see what I could do......so, I may need your help down the road.
Rick
Thuja
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Location: Wisconsin, USA zone 4b;
1951: -37*F;
1996: -29*F;
2005: -10*F;
2006: -17*F;
2007: -17*F.

RE: Had my first visitor!

Post by Thuja »

That's a rare event in the Midwest to have someone recognize and appreciate bamboo. I have mine planted in high foot traffic areas, near roads and sidewalks, so I sometimes get a puzzled look and the question, "Is that bamboo?" So far I haven't had anyone chew me out with dire warnings of foreign invasion and the evils of exotic plantings.

Our zoo here of course doesn't have any bamboo, but I guess I should sometime offer a division or two and see if they would be willing to try it.
--Mike
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