Well, there are many species that are fully tropical, many are "subtropicals", and there are quite a few species that excell in temperate climates with cold and snowy winters. Still, cold is relative. Probably the majority of Phyllostachys species (genus for Yellow Groove) will do very well from zones 6b to zone 9 in areas of heavy rainfall (higher zones might do better with more tropical genera). My zone 7 is plenty cold in the winter (and potentially very snowy) with over 50 inches of rain annually, but absolute lows almost never go below 0 F.. Under these conditions, yellow groove will form an ever expanding grove in a matter of years. You're right they look great in the winter, especially after a heavy, wet snow--very surreal. Unfortunately, most Phyllostachys are very aggressive in their optimal winter zones with hot and wet summers. I grow my clumping Fargesias and Bambusa multiplex in the ground and phyllostachys in containers. Am considering planting the phyllostachys in the ground in the spring with some heavy trenching (to curtair spread).