The only poor performer I have is Ph. aurea in one area that I have it planted. All year around there is top kill and culm die off. I have it growing mixed in with some henon down farther in the yard and it does fine there. The only other is Ph. viridis. Last summers drought caused slow/poor new culm development. Broom tops, top kill and undersized foliage. But it shoots much later than all of my other boos. I don't have viridiglaucescens yet so I can't compare. I do have a new planting of nidularia and so far has been fine, but this season will tell better. Check with Steve Ray, I believe he grows it and probably has for quite some time.
Chris

ah, i share your results. my vglauc is probably 4 if not 5 years in the ground now and has been a serious disappointment. i will add that i have seen vole runs right through it so that is certainly a contributing factor but no worse than in other plantings.

i'm in zone 6 and this one has top killed every winter, even when we have not been below +3F, despite its reputation for serious hardiness. many other species planted at the same time or even later have vastly out performed in terms of hardiness and growth. mine has not yet exceeded 5 feet in height and is just starting to run a tad. already dead to the ground again this winter, one of the first to go down. a glauca yunzhu planted 2 years later, only 12-15 feet away is at 18 feet and still hanging in there. i am wondering if mine is mis id'd but it came from steve ray and they are quite reliable, but i guess we can all make a slip now & again.

one interesting note, the leaves have white striping like bambusiodes kawadana - the thin white airbrushed type of striping - for the first few weeks after they are produced, fading to green eventually. this also makes me wonder about the id.