Hi all,
I am curious to know,which would be the preferred black clumper out of B.lako and G.atroviolacea in the U.S.Which is the most expensive?
Down here in Australia ,lako is found relatively easily in nurseries,whereas atro is a real collectors plant commanding a high price.
Cheers.
Atro vs Lako
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Mike McG
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- Location: Near Brenham TXUSDA Z8b
Atro vs Lako
Richard,
You may not get many answers since there are not very many places where you can grow these bamboo in the US. Probably only USDA zone 9 and higher so it would be HI, and the warmer parts of FL, CA, TX, and perhaps AZ with a lot of water. I would guess this is less than 5% of the US. They are borderline just north of Houston where Mercer BG is located, and I expect would need winter protection where I am here in Z8b.
I was going to say that lako might be more available because my impression was that it got less winter damage than atro in the borderline areas, but I see the 2005 ABS source list has atro hardier by 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe I will try them in the future, but I have a few more borberline Bambusa I want to get first.
Mike near Brenham TX
You may not get many answers since there are not very many places where you can grow these bamboo in the US. Probably only USDA zone 9 and higher so it would be HI, and the warmer parts of FL, CA, TX, and perhaps AZ with a lot of water. I would guess this is less than 5% of the US. They are borderline just north of Houston where Mercer BG is located, and I expect would need winter protection where I am here in Z8b.
I was going to say that lako might be more available because my impression was that it got less winter damage than atro in the borderline areas, but I see the 2005 ABS source list has atro hardier by 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Maybe I will try them in the future, but I have a few more borberline Bambusa I want to get first.
Mike near Brenham TX
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needmore
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- Location: Kea'au, HI
lako
Richard, there is a retail garden center in Honolulu that often has a very rare bamboo and I go there often and buy all of them. Today, they had just received a new shipment of tropical clumpers and here are some of the prices.
Bambusa Lako - regular price $999.99 on sale for $699.99 this was perhaps a 4 culm plant with the largest at about 3/4 inch by 10 feet
Schizostachyum Brachycladum - $499.99 several small culms in the 1/2 inch by 6 feet range
Nastus Elastus - $249.99 this was a gorgeous plant about 12 feet tall and very healthy looking
Gigan. Pseudoarundinacea 'Medium' - $249.99
Bambusa Vulgaris Wamin - $149.99
Sorry, I forgot to pay attention to the container size but I would guess that they were 5 or 7 gallons. All of these plants came from Quindembo Nursery on the Big Island, and these are garden center retail prices, not bamboo nursery prices.
Several smaller Otataea Acuminata around 34.99 to 129.99
Thyrostachys Siamensis - $99.99 this was perhaps the best bargain, a decent size plant that loooked pretty goood - to me this one usually looks sickly, despite how beautiful mature ones are
There were a couple of runners as well. I go there for what I would name Pleioblastus Distichus Variegata, or perhaps a variegated Pygmaeus.
Bambusa Lako - regular price $999.99 on sale for $699.99 this was perhaps a 4 culm plant with the largest at about 3/4 inch by 10 feet
Schizostachyum Brachycladum - $499.99 several small culms in the 1/2 inch by 6 feet range
Nastus Elastus - $249.99 this was a gorgeous plant about 12 feet tall and very healthy looking
Gigan. Pseudoarundinacea 'Medium' - $249.99
Bambusa Vulgaris Wamin - $149.99
Sorry, I forgot to pay attention to the container size but I would guess that they were 5 or 7 gallons. All of these plants came from Quindembo Nursery on the Big Island, and these are garden center retail prices, not bamboo nursery prices.
Several smaller Otataea Acuminata around 34.99 to 129.99
Thyrostachys Siamensis - $99.99 this was perhaps the best bargain, a decent size plant that loooked pretty goood - to me this one usually looks sickly, despite how beautiful mature ones are
There were a couple of runners as well. I go there for what I would name Pleioblastus Distichus Variegata, or perhaps a variegated Pygmaeus.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
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boonut
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Lako vs. Atro
I have talked to people on the west coast of the U.S. and in Florida. I get two answers.
In Florida, it seems Lako is easier to propagate and looks better.
In California, Atro comes back from freezes much faster and looks better.
People in Hawaii use Lako as a wind break because the leaves don't get beat up as much.
All of this may be true. I have both and will send in updates as I see how they do in freezing temps. We have freezing temps about once or twice every 3 -4 years. I only had Lako in the ground last year when it got down to 26 with snow (109 year snow... most people in the valley have never seen snow). The Lako lost the top half of the plant but recovered very nicely. I have one at my house that did great. The 4 I have in the ground out at my BooNut farm didn't come back so quickly. They are all doing good...
I like the look of Atro more than Lako "at this point". I have one Atro in a 38 gallon container. It continues to put up shoots on a regular basis. Atro has larger leaves. I know of one Lako that is fairly large which is growing about 18 miles closer to the coast that did not get any damage from the freeze. It is much larger than the ones I have.
In Florida, it seems Lako is easier to propagate and looks better.
In California, Atro comes back from freezes much faster and looks better.
People in Hawaii use Lako as a wind break because the leaves don't get beat up as much.
All of this may be true. I have both and will send in updates as I see how they do in freezing temps. We have freezing temps about once or twice every 3 -4 years. I only had Lako in the ground last year when it got down to 26 with snow (109 year snow... most people in the valley have never seen snow). The Lako lost the top half of the plant but recovered very nicely. I have one at my house that did great. The 4 I have in the ground out at my BooNut farm didn't come back so quickly. They are all doing good...
I like the look of Atro more than Lako "at this point". I have one Atro in a 38 gallon container. It continues to put up shoots on a regular basis. Atro has larger leaves. I know of one Lako that is fairly large which is growing about 18 miles closer to the coast that did not get any damage from the freeze. It is much larger than the ones I have.
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Roy
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- Location: Tampa, Florida, USA,............Florida's SunCoast <Zone 9B-10A>
Re: Atro vs Lako
Richard,Richard wrote:Hi all,
I am curious to know,which would be the preferred black clumper out of B.lako and G.atroviolacea in the U.S.Which is the most expensive?
Down here in Australia ,lako is found relatively easily in nurseries,whereas atro is a real collectors plant commanding a high price.
Cheers.
Here's my opinion on your question. Remember, it is an opinion and not necessarily fact.
I find G. atro much more difficult to propagate than B. lako. I propagate only B. lako and don't waste my time with G. atro any more. A plus for B. lako. G. atro does turn black much more quickly than does B. lako. A plus for G. atro. B. lako is more erect than G. atro. A plus for B. lako.
I don't see any real difference in price or availablilty of one over the other in my area. I don't know anything about cold or wind tolerances of one over the other.
Roy in Tampa