SE Kansas, 3 types of well established bamboos

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sfhellwig
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SE Kansas, 3 types of well established bamboos

Post by sfhellwig »

As my garndening abilities increase I thought back to my childhood and the large bamboo grove we had on the farm and how I would like my children to have something like that. A few weeks later, countless hours on bamboo forums, and I am prepared to do some divisions to start my collection. Driving around town I have begun spotting several groves and will ask permission before digging. There are three types I am going for and was hoping somebody knew their regions well enough to give me an idea. This is Pittsburg, KS. I am about 15 min. from Missourri border and 20 min. from Oklahoma border.

1. Yellow clumping bamboo. I see it around town and the stands are small and nearly dead from the winter. What I will dig from is my great granfathers farm where I grew up. Its been so long since I've seen it but would estimate culm height of 12 foot and dia. of up to 1.25 in. The grove has been there so long my dad doesn't even know how it got there. It used to be a grove between the pond and the fence. Now it's a pond and a fence lost in the grove.

2. Green running. Some of the older culms look to be 20+ feet. Dia. of up to 2" looks to be the best. There is a particularly established grove the city just went and topped as it grows under some power lines. There is plenty more inside the fence that I might get permission for. If not I think the same stuff grows near where I work. Looks like a couple of college kids, hopefully they'll be cool with digging.

3. Brown/green tight clumper. Maybe 12' or a little better. Culms are small, 1/2" or so. Very thick foliage. Great for a screen. Seen it in a yard down the stree. Then a friend pointed out the university groundskeeper has a wall about 80 yards long back to the greenhouse. I've been meaning to hit them up for some banana pups, if they understand the bamboo they'll know that a division shouldn't be any problem.

Sorry for the long post. I remember playing with the boo when I was young and really miss it. I figure starting with what I know is hardy in my area will give me the best results in the shortest time so my kids can enjoy this before they are too grown. Thanks for any suggestions.
Mike McG
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SE Kansas, 3 types of well established bamboos

Post by Mike McG »

sfhellwig,

Welcome to the board. It is frequently very difficult to ID bamboo even with a picture. If you can get some pictures of the overall plant, the culm, leaves, culm sheaths, branches, and especailly new shoots it would help.

With respect to your first bamboo, I am some what skeptical it is really a clumper and would tend to think it might be Ph aurea. If it truly is a clumper it might be B. multiplex, 'Aphonse Karr' but I think it unlikely especially since you give the impression it is common, and I would think your area too cold except in a microclime. Also I would think you are too hot for the mountain bamboo clumpers.

The green runner could be any number of bamboo. The brown/green tight clumper is also a puzzle for me also. As I said in the begining pictures would really help.

Mike near Brenham TX
boonatick
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Post by boonatick »

On number one ,are you sure its a bamboo? , do the leaves come out of a branch or out of the stalk?,I dont mean too doubt you but it may be arundo donax(sp)? #2 no guess ,#3maybe arrow,it apears to clump and could grow there ,,,,get pictures of the shoots which will be shooting soon and an Id is much more likely,rgds Kaylen
Kaylen. zone 8 borderline b.near Boerne Texas
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rfgpitt
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Post by rfgpitt »

agree with pics, and starting off with what you know does well in your area. keep in mind that most of the Phyllostachys (and others) that start off with green culms can look yellow/brown from sun exposure.
Last edited by rfgpitt on Tue Mar 14, 2006 1:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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David
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Post by David »

Hello sfhellwig,

I liked your post. One of the reasons I grow bamboo, are my memories of playing in it as a child in Lousiana. It was great fun, and imagination food!

If you like it, and it grows in abundance where you live, dig it up and enjoy. It would be nice to know what it is but not essential to your purpose which is to provide your children one of the joys of your own childhood.

Welcome aboard, there'er a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum(not me- I'm still a rookie) Take pics of shoots, and we will all take a guess.
David Arnold
Middle Tennessee Bamboo Farm
USDA zone 6b
sfhellwig
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Post by sfhellwig »

Pictures are not a problem. I knew that was coming anyway. Pics of #2 & 3 are easy because they are in town. #1 I can shoot what's here but what I will dig is nearly an hour away. It has truly been so long since I have seen it I cannot accurately describe it. I am assuming clumper because of how it expanded perfectly outward instead of wandering out loosely. I'll grab the camera at lunch. I am going by the grove of green runner anyway. After hacking away at it the city left all the cuttings there. I saw several very thick culms just laying on the side of the road. Nice poles indeed. I will start checking names suggested to see if I can match anything up. Thanks for the help all.
sfhellwig
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Post by sfhellwig »

Amazing how much you can learn in a day. Hopefully my pictures are clear enough to get an idea.

Not having seen the farm for so long I believe it is the same as this:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/ ... wclump.jpg
The leaves are gone for the winter and they have a "plume" at the top. The leaves though I believe do not have stem and I am assuming the plume is a bloom which I read is rare. Is this the arundo donax? Very similar to bamboo but not quite. Would still make for good screening.

The green runner I believe is yellow groove. I went down last night to grab a few culms off the ground and this stuff is amazing. It is green with the yellow groove between most nodes. It fits the size and hardiness and per one site I was looking at today the culms feel like sand paper. Anyone have another suggestion for anything that looks close to P. aureosulcata. I am going down there here shortly so should have pics tomorrow.

The brown/green clumper is shown here:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/ ... nclump.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/ ... shoots.jpg
The culms are actually green and I'm not sure if the leaves are brown because of winter or that's just their color. It also looks like they run a rhizome trench down the back side to keep it in check.

Hopefully my pics are not junk. Downsizing images never seems to work well for me. If anyone needs a higher res pic or would like to see a more specific part of the plant. I haven't learned yet which parts are most distinguishing.
Mike McG
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pictures

Post by Mike McG »

sfhellwig,

The resolution is not good enough to see what they are but if one has plumes it is most likely Arundo donax as you say. Around here the A. donax looks great in the spring but then gets fairly beat up after that.

The other picture looks like it is a Phyllostachys, not aclumper, but it is difficult to see.

You are probably correct on the Ph. aureosulcata also from your description.

Mike near Brenham TX
sfhellwig
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Post by sfhellwig »

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/ ... umpbig.jpg

Here is the assumed A. donax. If you can see it much better you can see that yes these clumps have thinned out alot. Pretty well made a screen this summer. There is another in town that appears to be a young wall someone is starting. There are only a few canes left standing now. Unless someone suggests something different with this bigger picture I'm calling #1 identified. I am not running out to dig this up but when I do have better property I know where do go to get several divisions to start a privacy wall.

I can't seem to catch the people with the green runner boo but am oddly confident in calling it yellow groove. This is probaly an unsafe assumption after working with bananas and knowing how difficult it is to ID but it fits the description so well. Anyone willing to offer other names? I know, I've been real lazy about the pics of this. I just want to do it all at once when I talk to the people and ask permission to dig. I do intend on aquiring this specimen.

#3. I will put the higher res pics this afternoon. Would still like to get it but digging doesn't look easy. Possibly get it from a local nursery since I've seen it around town. I am mostly excited about the yellow groove.

Thanks for all the guidance so far. Further suggestion gladly appreciated.
sfhellwig
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RE: SE Kansas, 3 types of well established bamboos

Post by sfhellwig »

Not to leave my own thread open ended I would like to sum it up.

#1. I believe we have narrowed down to Arundo Donax.

#2. I am pretty confident it is yellow groove. I never got pics but I do have permission to dig so they are inevitable now.

#3. I never have my camera with me but have gone back to look a few time. It appears to also be yellow groove but since it is in full sun most of the culms are yellowed. It is also coming out of winter. I'm just amazed at how tight and "clumpy" it is. However, I have read of runners acting like clumpers when in bad soil and if they didn't amend the soil then it's just staying put in our wonderful Kansas clay. Also, last time I was there it looked like they had just redug the rhizome trench.

So until I get more knowledgable or actually talk to those who know I guess I (we) have narrowed it down to 1 well established bamboo and 1 bamboo imitator. I guess when you are looking for winter hardy plants you stick to what works and makes for less variety. That's fine, if I can get a field division of this yellow groove to grow like the grove it's coming from that will keep me happy.
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