Return to the Bamboo Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
Posted by berklady z9 ca (My Page) on Fri, Jan 5, 07 at 0:38
| Happy New Year everybody! I'm getting ready to buy a big running bamboo to plant in n. california in a very dry (nill humidity), hot summer and cold -a little snow every winter- area. I've narrowed it down to these 3 choices-vivax, madake, and henon. I've seen photos of all and love em all, but i was wondering if one would do best in these conditions? which one grows the fastest? does the best in full sun? thanks a ton for the help, Selina |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
Zone 9 with snow. Are you in the Santa Cruz mtn's?
All those grow fairly fast. Vivax is probably fastest to size up. But most I've seen in the sac valley like some shade or they burn a little.
I just found a large grove of henon. Tall but not as large a diameter. Very nice small dark green leaves, sort of like moso.
PH. bambusoides (madake) will do great, just takes a little longer.
I don't know how much you're paying for large bamboo. Lake's nursery in Newcastle has a few 31" boxes for 200 or less. If you buy one of his really tall ones, he might give you an even better deal. 40+ feet tall and almost 5" diameter culm. Looks really good. Just hard to transport. I just bought a 31" box with smaller culms around 20-25 and 1.5" culms and a 45 gallon moso from him and a Robert young 31" box. But lot's of great boo places down by santa Cruz and sebastapol etc.
Remember 1's never enough once you start. |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
| im not sure about the madake, but either vivax or the henon would grow very fast,. it depends on what you want to do with it though, vivax looks great but is thin walled and not too good for making furniture /flooring etc, out of,. the henon looks good also, and if you want to make stuf out of it, its thicker walled... either on would be ok for the looks of it. |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Fri, Jan 5, 07 at 14:35
| P. vivax prone to breakage in snow, due to thin walls. P. bambusoides prone to aphids. All want moisture and fertility. Apart from lush coarseness of P. vivax, moso most beautiful and distinctive. Used to be a nice planting in Castro Valley. |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
| Thanks for the info-I actually live in Berkeley, but recently bought property in mendocino county- so i think it's zone 8 up there. It's super low humidity and HOT in the summer where I;ll be planting, so thats why i crossed moso off the list. Out of the 3 on list, which do you think would get the thickest culms in diam.? Just for looks, not planning on building out of it. Thanks a ton, Selina |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Sun, Jan 7, 07 at 22:35
| P. vivax is common and easy. Have seen and photographed an impressive stand in Los Angeles area, at the Huntington. Towering thick, white banded culms with great plumes of large leaves at the top. But, again, they will all want a moist, fertile situation, if there was a possibility of getting moso going I would concentrate my efforts on that. It is so much more beautiful. |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
| Don't worry too much about the choice because the 3 are closely related and are adapted to similar conditions. P. bambusoides ("Madake") and P. vivax are two cultivated clones of the same natural species. Henon is the wild form of P. nigra. P. nigra was named for an artificially bred cultivar. It's a good strong grower (at least, up here it is) and will probably give you the best performance. P. vivax grows fast but the culms are disappointingly weak. Any of them would give you fat culms but the vivax or the Henon would give them to you fastest I suspect. Somewhere I have a photograph of my daughter peaking out from a Vivax grove in Burian, Washington, and the culms are impressively huge. |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Mon, Jan 8, 07 at 20:18
| Moso is not very similar to the others, which has been my point all along. When P. nigra 'Henon' flowers all manner of color variants appear, including black bamboo. I don't know that existing clones of P. nigra are anymore than someone saving and propagating some that appeared after a flowering of P. nigra 'Henon'. "Artifically bred" usually refers to lines or selections that are developed through hybridizing. Put horizontal sprays of tiny leaves and a rustic patina on the culms of that P. vivax planting in Burien (Clinton Bamboo Growers retail location) and you will have moso. |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
So Your new area would be similar to the Newcastle area in CA. Henon grows great will be very tall, but not as large of diameter culms 3". Has great little leaves, just slightly larger than moso leaves. The P. Bambusoides grows really well, takes longer to get large than vivax, but handles the hot dry sun better in the groves I've seen around here. 5" diameter of both P. Bambusoides and Vivax. So, take your pick.
Speed to large size (Vivax)
Henon, tall and fast growing not as large of diameter (still nice size).
P. Bambusoides. Takes the heat and sun and wind best, large diameter culms but somewhat slower to get there.
I planted them all.
Hey another great one to think about to confuse you more would be the Folsom Black. P. Nigra Daikokuchiku. About 60 feet tall and 3.5 inch diameter. Culms turn black first year. Very nice looking. I have that also. Fast grower but can be sensitive to boron and salts in water. (leaf tips burns) |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Tue, Jan 9, 07 at 13:37
| Average leaf lengths: P. bambusoides: 6 inches P. edulis: 2 1/2 inches P. nigra 'Henon': 3 1/2 inches P. vivax: 5 inches according to Michael Bell, The Gardener's Guide to Growing TEMPERATE BAMBOOS (Timber Press) |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
- Posted by bboy z8 WA USA (My Page) on
Tue, Jan 9, 07 at 14:04
| This may be of interest. Lots to choose from. |
Here is a link that might be useful: ABS Species List - P
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
Thanks a lot for all the info- moso was originally what i had my heart set on, but i read somewhere that it doesn't do so good in DRY, low humididity (13% at times, or even lower). Any of you experienced this to be untrue? or true?
The madake sounds like a good match for my needs. it'll be planted on either side of the gate to mark the entrance onto the property- but i know I'll end up getting more for the rest of the land. My little yard in Berkeley already has 8 different bamboos taking over... |
RE: phyl. vivax, madake, or henon? which one to pick?
| | |
| This forum is sooooooo full of information. Thanks to everyone... seems like no activity here for years. |
|
|
|
|
