Have some doubts about it being exactly 48 years, every time. Even if entire population were all one clone (maintained through cultivation) that would be unusually regular. And apparently it's not one clone, unless the plants live on to bloom again during the next cycle, rather than petering and being replaced by a new generation each time.

I am hoping that you guys can give me some assistance. I recently purchased a home with a large (to southern california standards) pond. The pond is just about 8" away from the block wall that divides my property from my neighbors. Because the pond was built with a liner I must be very careful about planting anything that might grow and puncture the liner or that would become so dense it might dislodge the liner. The pond is about 20' long and the entire length is 8" away from the block wall. I plan to put in a Japanese garden and want to grow bamboo between the wall and the pond. My neighbor's roof is visible from my yard and thats what I'm hoping to screen out. The zone I live in is 9. I am hoping for bamboo to grow to between 7 ft and 9 feet. I would love a bamboo that is leafy all the way up, as I would like the lush look.

Thanks in advance to anyone that responds.

What you really need to do is start a new thread of your own.