Red margin flourishing at high altitude and zone 5B!

17 years ago

Five years ago, I purchased mail order a one gallon pot of red margin. It has been moved once. But is now in full sun at 6,000 feet and zone 5B. This one gallon is now over ten feet tall. It seems to thrive in our harsh climate and harsh sun (we are located in a high mountain valley of Central Utah). Interestingly, while it continues to shoot up and look very green and healthy, it has not spread at all, but performs like a clumper (being only three feet in circumference)! Out of all the bamboo we have trialed here, red margin seems the best suited for our climate, our soil and our hard water and harder winters. There is very little die back even in the harshest winter conditions without any protection from drying winds and below zero temperatures. I expect it to exceed thirty or forty feet when it tops out. But who knows? Any one with similar experience with it?

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Comments (5)

tucker_sp
17 years ago
No experience, but I'd like to know where you got it, since it seems particularly hardy, and I might try some here in Minnesota. Could you post a picture?

Tucker
highaltitudebamboo
Original Author
17 years ago
Tucker,
I need to find a new battery for my camera before attempting to post a picture. (Not sure how to do that...) I obtained the very tiny one gallon plant from Bamboo Sorcery in Northern California. On their website they said that red margin will perform like a clumper in cool evening climates. That's certainly proven true with our plant. BTW: I think it is taller than ten feet, more like twelve or even fifteen. The new shoots are just below our telephone wire! While it has survived here at 6,000 ft in a mountain valley rated as 5B zone for the last five years (I would say it has even thrived), I wonder about your Z4...
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eric_layton
17 years ago
Hey highaltitudebamboo,
Glad to see another enthusiast from Utah. I am at 4300 ft elevation between Salt Lake City and Ogden. Zone 6 I believe. I have had Red Margin for 2 years now and it is about 11 feet and not much spread. Here is a picture of the typical winter damage mine gets.
{{gwi:418162}}

My tallest and best looking so far is Decora (Ph. mannii decora) at about 14 feet after 4 years. I also have the all yellow Yellow Groove (Ph. aureosulcata aureocaulis), 4 years at about 12 feet and over six feet spread in both directions. It is contained in a 3' wide area.
Eric
unautre
17 years ago
http://www.lewisbamboo.com/rubromar.html

I have a Ph. vivax and aurea which are acting like bushy clumpers after 2 springs in the ground, just like your rubro.

I figure they will, having built up enough root mass, decide to run this autumn, giving remote shoots next spring.

Yours might do the same.
aikidohut
15 years ago
I'm in western Nebraska and have planted both Decora (last year), and Golden (this year). All the Decora died. So far this year, the Golden has survived two late season snow storms, and below freezing overnight temps. I am planning to try Rubromarginata later this year, or next year.

The wind never stops blowing in Nebraska, and the soil is rather alkaline. These are my challenges. I put in a drip irrigation system that should help. Just wanted to share.

I miss Utah. I moved from Logan two years ago.