Rich_by_the_Bay
Moderator Emeritus
I'm fascinated by this stuff. Started out with a small cluster of clumping "gracilis textilis" - a narrow somewhat tall but delicate variety of bamboo and watched in amazement as each stalk ("culm") grew to its full height in 60 days - in this case about 25 feet tall.
Then I rescued a damaged stand of Buddah's Belly, and it sat for a year, barely doing anything more than what weeds do. Last year it blew my mind: 30-35 feet in 60 days.
My browsing led me to a national bamboo expert by the unlikely name of Roy Rogers - a retired school teacher here in Tampa who made this hobby his business and passion. Spent a couple of hours at his modest 3/4 acre yard looking at magnificent stands of oldhamii and other varieties. At a neighborhood park near my house there is a stand of oldhamii about 30 feet in diameter, 55' in height, and so dense nothing can get through.
It's amazing; I can see the growth from when I leave for work to when I get home. It makes a very unique noise when the wind blows it around. The stalks are very strong but flexible - I cut about 6 foot long tips off the plants and dried them, arranging them in a planter inside - always get lots of comments on them.
Funny what grabs you. When I FIRE I plan to spend some time collecting different varieties - will need a bigger yard for sure.
Then I rescued a damaged stand of Buddah's Belly, and it sat for a year, barely doing anything more than what weeds do. Last year it blew my mind: 30-35 feet in 60 days.
My browsing led me to a national bamboo expert by the unlikely name of Roy Rogers - a retired school teacher here in Tampa who made this hobby his business and passion. Spent a couple of hours at his modest 3/4 acre yard looking at magnificent stands of oldhamii and other varieties. At a neighborhood park near my house there is a stand of oldhamii about 30 feet in diameter, 55' in height, and so dense nothing can get through.
It's amazing; I can see the growth from when I leave for work to when I get home. It makes a very unique noise when the wind blows it around. The stalks are very strong but flexible - I cut about 6 foot long tips off the plants and dried them, arranging them in a planter inside - always get lots of comments on them.
Funny what grabs you. When I FIRE I plan to spend some time collecting different varieties - will need a bigger yard for sure.