You can grow bamboo in Zone 6, but the aboveground growth may get damaged each winter. What are your expectations for how it looks in the dead of winter?

I don't know what bamboo will do here. I got two plants from a lady. She said the name was( Fargesia dracocephala) " RUFA "
It stayed green all winter and she has had it growing three years here in Tulsa,Ok. I am hoping to get some replies from people in the Tulsa area that already have bamboo growing. Bamboo is so pricey. I don't want to find out the hard way.

ewal-
Different bamboo species have different degrees of winter hardiness. Some bamboo completely die when the temperature gets near freezing and others can withstand temperatures down to -20F for short periods of time. If you do have Rufa, that's a good choice for you because that is one of the ones that is hardiest. There are several other fargesias that are equally tough. Many bamboo will live in your Zone, but will suffer at least leaf drop in the winter. The fargesias are clumping bamboos. There are also a couple of running bamboo that are about as hardy, and one of them is Phyllostachys nuda.

Your area is not a place I think of as having a lot of bamboo, so I suspect it may be hard to find a bamboo specialty nursery in your town. After you decide what you want, you may have to order it from a bamboo nursery that ships plants, and there are a lot of reliable ones out there. For now, I suggest you check out the link below, which is where a lot of the really serious bamboo folks hang out. I know that several of them grow bamboo in Zone 6 (and even Zone 5), and you will get good, firsthand recommendations from them on bamboo species that would be good for your situation. Just register and post there in one of the forums. One other thing you might want to mention is how hot/dry a Tulsa summer can get, as that could be hard on certain bamboo as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: BambooWeb

Are you still looking for bamboo plants? I have black bamboo if you are interested.

GAiL

To bad you're not near Sumrall, Ms.
I just went and cut a truck full of bamboo today, some 40ft tall and 3" in diameter. She has about 10 acres and giving it away at $10 a truck load. I am an hour away from her, not sure of the species, but it looks like P.Vivax, I thought i was in the Bamboo fields in China.....:)

Gail,
Yes I would be interested in getting some black bamboo.
Give me details on how I could get some from you.

Gail, if black bamboo will grow in the Tulsa area I would love some, if you would be interested in sharing or selling. Let me know the details.

I have been wanting bamboo for a couple years but don't know enough about bamboo to ask an intelligent question.

Would love all kinds hardy to zone 7 and 8 timber especially , we want to grow crafting materials, Thanks
Tiger lilly

I live in NKY zone 6 and grow 34 different species of bamboo. Mostly Phyllostachys some fargesias, pseudosasa, pleioblastus,sasas, arundinaria,otatea and brachystachyum. Although the otatea is in a pot in the greenhouse. And there are many more than just my measly 34 that will grow in zone six. It sounds as though yours would need to be watered more often than normal.