8b here and ever so often we get those winters as well. Nice to hear your plants are pulling through. This was one of my Gracilis a few years ago after a winter of lows close to 15 degrees. First photo in spring, second was end of growing season. Textilis gracilis resized.jpg textilis- post winter- ...

I hear ya Green Man, Moso isn't a good one at all for your climate, but they are both grown for delicious shoots. I imagine that what we find appealing, the Kangaroos would as well. Asper shoots are good eating, and if I were a Kangaroo and learned about that food source, I'd be back time after time...

There used to be a webpage/blog by an Australian who grew a forest of Moso, who also had problems with Kangaroos. You should do a websearch and see what he did for control. He finally had to put his property up for sale, but it was a great read. If I remember correctly (incorrectly), it he put out s...

What an interesting selection. I can grow the oldhamii in Austin, but it's really just big and not that attractive. The only one on your list that I might stand a chance of growing is Thyrsostachys Siamensis. It looks like such a beauty and it might even grow here if things keep warming up. The rest...

Marcat, you might be right. The problem is that the low temps for the Sunburst are all over the map. Caldwell Nursery, over in Houston lists it as 18 degrees, some say 21, and I've seen as high as 23. I've had the Sunburst for 5 years, and we've had either have a serious cold year, or one that is mo...

Big John- if you didn't already get this from my previous post- despite what Steve posted, both of these will handle below freezing just fine..It's that 20 degree mark that will cause problems when they are young. The Kanapaha is a little less cold tolerant.

Big John, we have about the same winter temps as you. Put them in the ground now. Lots of organic matter in the holes, water well this summer, but not soggy, top dress with mulch. Amend the holes way wider than the pots- that room is for the future growth, when you don't want to go digging around af...

Brad, the shoots are smooth as heck, no needles, but they branch all the way to the ground, so I do a bit of clean up.. Fandelem, send me a PM and we can talk. This one got damage its first two winters in the ground here in Austin. Now that it's a bit older, we're finally seeing some good growth. So...

We've been in a bit of a drought, but the recent rains have made this one really start shooting.
Bambusa pervariabilis 'Viridistriata'

Amazing set of pictures..

Wish I had the room and the climate for this type of bamboo. Sasa veitchii was one of my first bamboo purchases about 10 years ago and it has never
looked very happy down here in Texas..

It's June in 8b, so that means the tropicals are coming out. Every single one is starting to shoot. The Sunburst (bambusa pervariabilis 'viridistriata'), Gracilis, multiplex riviereorum/silverstripe/alphonse karr, dolichomerithalla silverstripe, chungii, etc... Funny how the zones go. When the folks...

Like Marcat said, you've got a great climate for most Bambusa, but you are in a desert...LOL. Any chance of watering restrictions? I'd go with Bambusa textilis 'gracilis'. It usually tops out at around 18-20', but it does have a bit of culm lean when the branches fully leaf out during their second y...

Mine has sent up flowering culms for two years now, but the main plant is just as vigorous as ever. I cut them off about 5 culms last year just to see what would happen, and this year it only sent up one. I've only had this one single specimen growing in Texas for three years, and it's just over a f...

B. Multiplex 'alphonse karr' is a landscapers choice here in Austin, but mine starts showing some real damage at 15-17 F, or about -8 to -9C. From my experience, it's slow to recover when the top is damaged. I would guess that anything approaching -15C would kill your plant pretty darn fast. Here in...

Speaking of Rufa, I just dug my failed experiment up. I knew in advance it was bound for failure in the land of 100 degree temps, but thought that shade and water might help is succeed. Nope. So I have the mother plant in one qt. pot and a baby in another. It anyone wants to pay shipping, I'd be gla...