Phyllostachys virella rhizome surprise

Other things that involve bamboo

Moderator: needmore

Post Reply
Alan_L
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:13 pm
Location info: 81
Location: St. Louis area

Phyllostachys virella rhizome surprise

Post by Alan_L »

A few years back I had Ph. virella in a large planter box, and it was starting to look good. Then we had the very dry autumn followed by a couple of harsh cold snaps, and that bamboo died. (The drought reduced the hardiness of most of my bamboos that year I learned).

Luckily though, a rhizome had escaped from the planter box into the ground, and it produced shoots. That plant has now migrated a bit into an area that I like, and contains maybe 4 decent culms. I have not cut any rhizomes yet, as I wanted to give this plant a chance to establish. Now I've found a rhizome 15 feet from the plant, but running perpendicular to it (not radiating out from the plant)! Which means that there must be another rhizome nearby that is at least 15' long, and when there's one there's usually more than one. So I suspect this part of my garden has a lot of virella rhizomes running around, and it will be interesting in the spring to say the least!

Those of you who grow virella -- is it more vigorous than usual, or is this just how things go with a bamboo that's left to choose its own place in the garden? (All of my other plants have been purposefully located)
User avatar
needmore
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:14 pm
Location info: 0
Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: Kea'au, HI

Re: Phyllostachys virella rhizome surprise

Post by needmore »

Alan, when I imported Phy virella my supplier described it as being like Phy atrovaginata, but I found it much more like Phy rubromarginata. So much so that I began to wonder if there was an ID mix up. So given my unscientific comparison to Phy rubromarginata, if indeed they are similar, I would expect it to show great rhizome vigor. I did not grow it out long enough to really see what it was and I don't know who else has it, I don't recall spreading it around much and I'm not sure who else may have imported it - Jim Bonner in MS might have done.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
User avatar
David
Posts: 1495
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:42 pm
Location info: 30
Location: Middle Tennessee (Murfreesboro) USDA Zone 6b/7a Record low Jan 1966 -14*F Frost free April 21-Oct.21
Contact:

Re: Phyllostachys virella rhizome surprise

Post by David »

Morning Alan.

Brad gave me a virella in 2012. Here's a link to a pic I took last year. http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic. ... 6&start=15
David Arnold
Middle Tennessee Bamboo Farm
USDA zone 6b
Post Reply