Borinda angustissima is very attractive. It has very narrow, small leaves (very elegant) and the culms take on a deep purple color. It is a tight clumper. On the negative side, it's one of those highland subtropicals. That means it hates it too warm and too cold. Probably hardy down into low teens. I am giving one a try (low teens are not very common here). Your coastal location should mitigate extreme heat for you so it might be worth a try. Good luck! Try to plant it in a area that is only party sunny/semi-shady in summer to help it in the heat.

Thank you for the suggestion but I suspect it would get too hot here for that. The heat this summer was incredible- we had several days of 103 degree temps! Too bad, because it sounds like a beauty. Brandy

yep, don't make the mistake, as I did, of buying usually an expensive "mountain" bamboo. Didn't have a chance in San Antonio heat. We're all pushing zones on the low end, but some plants, exported from their native havitat, can't handle the high end. Mountain bamboos are a good example.

Careful watering and full shade weren't enough to save mine.

of the clumping blacks, you've got 3 main choices - Bambusa Lako, Dendrocalamus Atrovialacea and Asper Betung Hitam. The Betung Hitam is a beast that will get huge. The other two will not take your winters. Neither can hack it below freezing.

One thought is mexican weeping, which is more of a dark, chocolate brown. I've heard of people having luck with it below freezing. also does well in heat. culms aren't the greatest for crafts, though.

The D. asper can get 100' & 8" in diameter in the wild, can get 50'+ and 5" or so in FL. It is a very fast grower, mine is in the ground and grows taller and larger in diameter very quickly. Unfortunately, it will not survive your winters either, all three of the black clumping are tropical. The P. nigra would take your winters, but it is a runner. They do have various types of containment products that you may want to look into if you really want a black in the ground.

Brandray - popper1 gave you some idea of size. I meant to say all of the tropical clumping black bamboos would not survive below freezing...just didn't come out right. In southern california, you'll see lako in the 40-45 height, about the same for the atro (although it tends to 'fountain' or 'vase' more than the lako, which is very upright) and the asper hitam betung around here is somewhere in the 55-65 range. The hitam is a newer bamboo, so I'm not sure anyone in the States has one that has been in the ground more than 5 or 6 years.

thank you both for the information. I would only get a running bamboo if I thought the containing was easy, what I have heard of it sounds tedious and expensive. The only other thing that occurs to me, is that the area that is unimproved and unwatered around it might be sufficient to contain it. Understand that it is all sand here. Any thoughts on that? Brandy

I have not had any experience with runners in the ground, but my understanding is the only thing that will stop them is a solid barrier or water, i.e. a river.

How cold does it get where you are? A very nice clumper, very colorful, is Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr'. It is a small cane, to about 1" or 1.5" diameter, yellow with green striping. New canes have pinkish hues which can sometimes be seen in mature canes. It is hardy to 15, so probably borderline for your area.
There is a genus of clumping bamboo, Fargesia, that is very cold hardy, to temps well below zero. I do not know where you would get any of these species & I have no experience with them, but they would certainly survive your winters.

Hi,
For your area I would try Bambusa Textilis Gracilis. That bamboo will take the teens the heat and it will grow fast. Gracilis gets to around 25 feet tall with one inch or so culms. Everyone seems to want a division when they come by. There are other Textilis varieties out there but they get taller but all of them have the same cold tolorances. Rich

Thank you, popper and Rich, for the suggestions. It rarely gets down to 15 here. That area is at the bottom of the slope w/ woods behind it, so it might be somewhat protected.
'Alphonse Karr' is the only one on Mid-atlantic's list. Do you have a recommendation, Rich, as to where to get gracilis from?
While the diameter on these bamboos is less than I would like for craft or trellis purposes, it would work very well for garden stakes. Thanks, Brandy

I have seen it at H.D. If you come to Florida you may dig in my grove. Tropical Bamboo in south Florida has it. Rich

Thank you, Rich. I will check them out. Brandy

We are practically neighbors (Hampton,VA), so I'll tell you the clumpers that I'm success with.

Berg bamboo - Thamnocalamus tessellatus - 16', loves the southern heat and can take the mild winters we have.

Bambusa multiplex "Hedge Bamboo" - can stand the southern heat, but there is 100% top kill during the winter.

Mexican weeping bamboo - Otatea acuminata aztecorum - this is my first year growing this one. So far, it loves the southern heat. I love the cascading effect this boo has. If it can survive the winters, this boo would surely become my favorite.

Thank you, takumaku. Where can I get Mexican bamboo? Brandy

My Mexican Weeping Bamboo freezes before my Bambusa multiplex Hedge bamboo does. The multiplexes are as much as 10F more cold hardy here.

Both love the heat, but the Mex. Weep is more drought tolerant, but less cold hardy. It is a slow runner and will need some trimming and/or containment whereas the B. multiplexes are tight clumpers and much thicker than the Mex Weep.

Kt

bamboodirect.com is where I buy most of my boo from.

Mexican Weeping is an open clumber (not a runner) just like the Bambusa multiplex. No containment is necessary.

You are correct. Mex Weep is a clumper, but it will put up shoots up to a foot or more apart whereas the multiplexes will put up shoots right next to each other. The Mex Weep can cover an area six foot across in a couple to three years where the multiplex will take up to a dozen or more years to cover the same area.

Both are beautiful plants and I really like the Mex Weep's willowy leaves, very unique, but sadly it does not do as well here in our Winters as do the multiplexes.

Kt

Kentuck- what's the problem w/ your winters? They would be a little warmer than ours here, does that mean the mex weep would not do well here?
Takumaku- thank you for the source info. Brandy

The American Bamboo Society lists Mex Weep as cold hardy to 22F and all of the Bambusa multiplexes as cold hardy to 18F.

I think they may be cold hardy to even 15F from my experience, but other factors are involved, such as keeping them watered well before a freeze helps keep them from frostbite, and also if they are planted in a protected area or next to a warm house.

The B. textilis is the largest and most cold hardy Bambusa that does very well here. Mine has survived many Winters down to below 15F with only a little leaf burn and it has no protection from cold north winds.

The B. multiplexes are the next cold hardiest of my clumpers.

The Mexican Weeping does very well in these long hot humid Summers, but it doesn't do well below about 26F where it starts to lose leaves from frostbite.

Remember, a young plant is less cold hardy than a well-established one.

Good Luck

Kt

Thank you, kt. I looks like the textilis would be the best bet for me here. Brandy

B. textilis gets about 40 feet tall here, but there are some varieties that are smaller, about 25 to 30 feet tall.

Bambusa textilis var. albostriata and var. gracilis both are smaller, about 30 feet.

I like the albostriata since it has some stripes on the culms, but the gracilis is really beautiful with it's gracefully drooping leaves, a classic bamboo look.

Good Luck

Kt

I've gotten the most impressive growth from Fargesia robusta, the species name proving apt in this case.

thank you, KT and bboy. I will check into those. I think I would prefer 15 to 20 ft, but taller will be okay. I plant to dump some mulch and well-rotted manure on top of a pile of old tree trunks and plant the bamboo there. The main thing is to add organic matter so the soil will hold moisture better. I will use a soaker hose for watering. Brandy

In New Zealand, trying to get hold of Bambusa textalis gracilis for use as a screen. Anyone in NZ have some? Willing to swap anything in my garden you want! Including the dog!

Vblackship-
Resurrecting a 7 year old thread to pose an unrelated question is not a good way to get results. I suggest you start a new thread and use a subject for the posting that is specific to your issue.

Even better -- since most of us live in the U.S. -- you might improve your luck by posting in Gardenweb's Australia/New Zealand site.

Here is a link that might be useful: GW Aus/NZ

Asian Lemon - Bambusa eutuldoides viridi-vittata
is my favorite. Yellow with green stripes, open clumping and all clums grow straight up, and cold hardy to about 15 degree.