fastest spreading bamboo

[millerlightman02]

i have a 1/2 acre spot to grow bamboo in zone 5b-6 what would be the fastest spreading and tallest growing boo to fill a spot like this that is cold hardy? it is out in the open with no protection from wind. any suggestions?atrovaginata?Phyllostachys rubromarginata?

[Flashburn]

disclaimer. I am very new to the boo....

Vivax might take that kind of cold.


http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostachys%20vivax.htm

[bambooweb]

Of the tall bamboos that I have P. rubromarginata has been the fastest growing both in height and spread. P. bissetii is also filing in fast but I started with a 25 gallon pot of it where the Rubro was from 2 2gallon pots.

Bill

[needmore]

Mike, tell Bekki the card was great, thanks! I would go with Bissetii or Spectabilis both are hardier than the Rubro. I started thinning the Bissetii behind my Atrovaginata and found a few culms that are surely over 30 feet in year 5. They dwarf my 21 foot mark on the measuring pole and are pretty arched so hard to say for sure, 35 feet might be possible. If I find some more that size I may cut and measure one. Rubro in the same time is around 20-22, Spectabilis a year younger is 21 feet and can take wind pretty well.

[millerlightman02]

im glad u liked it brad. she started painting bamboo pictures. i wouldnt know why??(':lol:') i still want to say thank u so much and will see u in the spring i hope. will spectabilis grow well out in the open with wind and no protection?

[needmore]

I was glad to be able to give you some plants and hope they do well. The Spectabilis seems as wind tolerant as anything so it is a good try, also the Harbin Inversa seems to have no cold wind issues.

[mito0]

all of the aureosulcatas are definitely very tough, but bissetii (for me, at least) is just plain bullet-proof.
the two aureosulcatas i've had have been considerably less wind resistant in my neck of the woods (2nd windiest city in america - yay for us!) than bissetii.
rubro's a great boo, but its hardiness is only so-so in my zone 6 experience and its wind resistance is greatly over-exaggerated.
bissetii has been my overall winner for rampant spreading and superb winter wind resistance.

[Eastlandia]

I once thought that Vivax could take it....I was sadly mistaken. I would go with the species mentioned... : )

[dependable]

I have done trilals on an island off cape cod Mass. 5 an 6 years ago we had sub zero temps and lots of wind. Wind is normal here but below 10 d f is not. The different varieties of aureosulcada I had did ok , of alata, reg yellow groove, specabilis and aurea the first two seem a bit hardyer, . My harbins stand too small to judge. Bissetti was the best with Nuda coming in second. All the P Nigra I had was set back a lot , but lived, henon and borida did best. P vivax and P aurea w ere sent to back to ground, having to generate new culms, as was reg Nigra
I agree that bisseti looks best after hard winter and grows fast if fed well.