Phyllostachys arcana

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:21 am

In the colder interior of Nova Scotia which is both warmer in summer and colder in winter than the coast students at a community college divided a single P. arcana and planted the divisions out several years ago. I first saw them last autumn so went to see them today to see how they fared on the crest of one of the highest hill in the area. While there are burnt leaves they have held up extraordinarily well given the open and very windy spot, to say nothing of that hostile planting bed. I really couldn't believe they held up so "well". The last photo (plant #2) must have been the original that was chopped up as it still sported a label saying simply P. arcana.

I am told it went to at least -18c last winter once or twice with at least a dozen nights of -12 to -14c and days of well below -5c. That said it was an usually mild winter for NS in general.

I wouldn't recommend this Phyllostachys but maybe it is worth a trial here in a more protected spot. No sign of new shoots yet; you can see from the trees that spring is well behind the rest of you on the Forum. And the wind was blowing at quite a clip.

Any idea out there where this species hails from?

bamboothew · Post by **bamboothew** » Sat May 12, 2012 1:20 am

Phyllostachys arcana is a nice plant but not extraordinarily hardy for your area, -14C is probably about its limit for holding green leaves. It's usually listed hardy to about -17 but those listings are usually a few degrees too optimistic

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Sat May 12, 2012 2:56 am

bamboothew - So given the lows of -18c there do you think these plants are mis-labelled? I wouldn't have expected P. aureosulcata to look that "good" given such a winter and location.

bamboothew · Post by **bamboothew** » Sat May 12, 2012 8:42 am

johnw wrote:bamboothew - So given the lows of -18c there do you think these plants are mis-labelled? I wouldn't have expected P. aureosulcata to look that "good" given such a winter and location.

Maybe not! I see here: http://bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php? ... =15#p48121 where needmore says that leaf burn initiates on arcana around -18 or so, and that would seem to be consistant perhaps with the winter lows you are describing and the leaf-burn in the pics. Much colder or for that cold for longer, though, and you'd likely have total defoliation or total topkill. However, one would hardly expect mature hardiness from such new plantings! From what I gather, anyway: I don't have any experience with temps like that here, fortunately

Post by **needmore** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:01 pm

Once established I find it reliably hardy to -18C, and in an Indiana winter with typical wind, temp changes, long freeze periods it will hold some decent leaves if the low does not exceed the -18C. There will be significant burn much below that. Has been slow to gain size here, about an inch by 15', still going up this year, I have a spot where it bissetii and glauca yunzhu converge and mix, it is tough to tell the shoots apart from the bissetii but there are differences and they have a similar 'slender' culm profile. At sheath fall the arcana is powderless and brighter green compared to the bissetii, the culms stain black on the lower nodes very early and stay that way.

bamboothew · Post by **bamboothew** » Sat May 12, 2012 5:13 pm

Good to hear that it is pretty hardy. I have the 'Luteosulcata' version which is a very pretty one and seems to be a vigorous runner and culm producer: so far it is keeping pretty close with yellowgroove of the same age. It has a smoother, shinier culm than yellowgroove and the yellow sulcus ystripe is more vivid. Seems like so far, 'Luteosulcata' culms tend to stain black early but the black mostly fades away throughout the season. Does anyone know if it is as hardy as the straight arcana?

Post by **David** » Sun May 13, 2012 1:07 pm

I have not seen any difference in the two regarding hardiness. Ditto Brad on other. Just a note, deer select luteosulcata over all others it seems and will browse them to the ground. Also arcana type but not as much it seems. The yellow stripe must be sweet! I have luteosulcata planted next to their least favorite which seems to be hispida. The deer on my place have grown up for generations eating bamboo so they consider it an indigenous plant. They eat it all, but they have their favorites. Despite the heavy browsing both plants are sizing up well as the deer tend to leave the center grove shoots alone and browse the edges.

wufeng · Post by **wufeng** » Mon May 14, 2012 2:00 pm

My Phyllostachys arcana Luteosulcata is very hardy here in central Europe. I was very surprised, it is one from the most hardy bamboos here. But Phyllostachys arcana dissapointed me. I can see very big difference in vigority and hardinnes between this two bamboos, with arcana i have similar experience like bamboothew.

If i will have oportunity i would like to try another arcana plant from another source, maybe there are more clones in circulation.

I dont understand (if this is one kind) how are possible so big differences between them.

Phyllostachys arcana Luteosulcata is "clumping type" Phyllostachys in my garden.

Phyllostachys arcana

bamboothew · Post by **bamboothew** » Mon May 14, 2012 2:29 pm

Thanks for the hardiness info, guys! Definately nothing like clumping here: Planted it in 2010 and already having to take divisions to keep it in check!

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:23 pm

I re-visited the P. arcanas in the Annapolis Valley today. They are shooting nicely will probably not hit 10 feet. One shoot was already 6 feet tall.

The temp there was 27c but back home in Halifax it was a chilly 16c.

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 9:26 pm

A few arcana culms were even sluffing off their sheaths.

Surprised to hear they were planted in Novemeber and no one expected them to winter so well.

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:52 pm

Sometime in February 2013 this very row of arcanas saw -23c and got completely incinerated. Thnakfully the didn't get around to cutting the "dead" culms back. Tuesday photo!