Florida Bamboo Forum

I have a Bambusa Textilis growing about 50 yds from the oldhamii, and it has survived the last 2 winters with very little damage. It died back the first couple of years it was in the ground, but now is thriving.

"It died back the first couple of years it was in the ground, but now is thriving."


That was the theory I was working off of for your OldHamii. I didn't realize that it was 40' already, but I was thinking that once your Clump became large enough, it would become self insulating. You may loose some Culms on the Windward side, but not the whole Clump. I'm new to Bamboo, but no rookie when it comes to plants,( in general), and survival, in particular, LOL.......

Oh I understand your newness to bamboo completely. However, for many of the tropical bamboos temperature will effect the entire plant and not just the outer culms. For instance, Dendrocalamus validus is supposed to be cold hardy to about 26F, and I can tell you it is. But temps in the lower 20's and into the upper 10's have devastated this plant every year for the last 2 years.

At my brother's house over in Bushnell he has many bamboos that die back every year but grow back due to the cold. Even the ones sheltered by the old oaks get frost bit!

Hummm, interesting. Well, on the other hand, with Global Warming upon us,( if you believe in Science),( which I do), we will soon be in the Tropic's,LOL. Then all we will have to worry about is the Ocean levels riseing enough to put us under Water, LOL. Hopefully, by then we will have enough Bamboo to build a Stilt House and some good Fishing Poles,LOL.

I am growing the following types of Bamboo.
Bambusa mutabilis
Bambusa oldhammi
Bambusa pervariabilis viridistriata.

Where are you at Adam? You mentioned visiting Orlando so I'll assume Florida.