Greetings!

When I found this site, I was surprised to see that I was already a member. Apparently I got carried away some time in the past and must have applied for membership.

I will try to update my profile this weekend, but given the nice weather we've been having, you might not see me for a week.

Hubby and I live in the bottom of a valley in Northeastern Oklahoma. Not too far from Tahlequah, Muskogee, Tulsa, etc.

Our love of bamboo started years ago when I put an ad in the newspaper seeking Arundinaria Gigantea, commonly known as River
Cane in our area. Was I ever surprised that one of the people that responded had actual bamboo. My heart skipped a beat (though that seems a silly thing to say for someone with a heart murmur - ha!) when I pulled into the drive of the offering gentleman. There before me stood a 20-25 (amended to correct number) year old grand stand of Vivax.

My younger brother just happened to be with me, equipped with tools and much-needed muscles. I'd never experienced trying to dig something like bamboo, and had no idea what we were in for.

Years later, we have a well-established, albeit small grove of Vivax growing in our back property next to a creek that is typically flowing except in the hottest part of the Summer.

Since that wonderful day, we have acquired 23 additional bamboo, including Moso, although we cannot expect it to reach it's potential. It's nice to have, though.

I'll be posting later today, or perhaps this weekend with an identification request, as we have but one bamboo without an i.d. that has stumped us for years.

The locals keep calling it 'River Cane' as well, but the term seems abused in this area at best. I don't have a picture at the moment, but it is tall and whip-like when the shoots emerge. They are a green and dark purplish shoot with hairy sheaths. The tallest established canes are about 7 feet tall. But more on that later with pictures. Not to be confused with donax.

UPDATE! Whoo hoo! It is Arundinaria tecta. By golly, this is a great website, thank you!

Thanks for letting me join!

Karen

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“People of uncommon abilities generally fall into eccentricities when their sphere of life is not adequate to their abilities.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I'm not sure what is going on with your posts, the way this website is setup you need to have your first 2 posts approved by a moderator as we work hard to keep spammers off, I have now approved 3 of your posts and approved you again as a user so it should be set but let us know if not and we'll have to dig out the Webmaster who can fix anything!

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Brad Salmon, zone 5b/6 Southern Indiana
Winters -20 to -25C. Summers 30 to 35C , humid. 115 cm annual precipitation, frost free from May through early October. 259.3 meters elevation. Growing 150+ species. http://www.needmorebamboo.com/

Hi Brad! Many thanks! I was so excited to have rediscovered this site,
and completely bummed that I couldn't seem to get it to work.

Thank you so much!

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“People of uncommon abilities generally fall into eccentricities when their sphere of life is not adequate to their abilities.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Has your Vivax crossed the creek? Just curious...

Hi Jeff,

Although the creek is shallow and not very wide, we have honestly been watching to see
if it pops up on the other side. It seems to be traveling away from the creek, actually, which
is good, as we are debating a new planting on this side.

_________________
“People of uncommon abilities generally fall into eccentricities when their sphere of life is not adequate to their abilities.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Thanks for the response. When I read your original post, the infamous as of late, bamboo detractor, Caryn Rickel from Connecticut came to mind and I was thinking about how every time she discovered a bamboo grove near a creek she would state the bamboo could pass over during dryer periods, like a broken record. Since your creek runs dry in the summer I thought I'd ask.

I think its unlikely it will cross, but I'm no expert. Maybe it could porpoise out of the ground and go over, but that would be easy to see and deflect.

LOL Jeff, I just have to tell you. This morning, I was telling my
husband about you asking if it crossed the creek. He laughed
and asked what I said. After I told him what was in my post, he
just looked at me funny.

I asked "Well, could it cross the creek?"
He said "I don't think so."
I asked "Then do you think he was just teasing me?"

We then had a good laugh, but I have to admit, I've never
heard anyone say theirs crossed the creek. The term 'porpoise'
could not be more applicable, I knew exactly what you were
talking about.

Thanks for the giggles!

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“People of uncommon abilities generally fall into eccentricities when their sphere of life is not adequate to their abilities.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Glad to entertain, though I have to confess... I didn't come up with the term 'porpoise' as it pertains to bamboo rhizomes...I'm sure I read it here on the forums somewhere and it just stuck in my head.

The places I've seen Rickel make the comment about the bamboo crossing a stream during a drought unfortunately don't have a place to comment, otherwise I would say something like the following:

"Bamboo is a plant that needs water to grow. If there is a severe drought the bamboo is not going to be doing much growing and may die from lack of water."

That comment would get deleted so fast...

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Southern Indiana. Theoretically the same climate as 'needmore' & 'Eastlandia'.
My Bamboo List.

"Take Dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble."

I've never heard of this person, but once I looked up the
story, I understood the reference.

Wow.

_________________
“People of uncommon abilities generally fall into eccentricities when their sphere of life is not adequate to their abilities.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe