- Do all varieties of bamboo run?
Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae.
It is used extensively in fabrics, papers and utensils and in Japan, the Giant Timber Bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) is used in construction as an eco-friendly alternative to wood.
Evolving over the last 30 to 40 million years, there are now over 1000 bamboo species of which there are two main types known as running bamboo and clumping bamboo. Because many varieties tolerate both heat and cold and are highly adaptable to soil type, they makes a good choice for some gardens in our ever-changing climate. Used as a privacy hedge or screen or just as an interesting ornamental, there are many varieties that do very well in the Pacific Northwest, including the B.C. coast and the Gulf Islands. Bamboo is a beautiful and somewhat exotic accent to any landscape adding height, colour, texture and movement to any garden.
Running bamboo spreads by underground stems called rhizomes which grow roots and culms (above ground stems or canes) as they spread. New culm growth primarily occurs during the spring, in a roughly 6–12week window between March and May. Growing culms extend like a telescoping rod to reach their full height during their first year (30 ft. or more for a mature running bamboo). Individual culms never change thickness unlike trees that grow wider trunks with age. Culms emerge from the ground the diameter at which they will stay. As the plants establish, each spring growth of emerging culms will be thicker and grow taller than prior generations until the colony is mature, and this is how the colony grows in overall height. Branch and leaf growth can increase on culms from year to year, but for some species, the first branches on a new culm won’t appear until its second year. Plants are in a constant state of renewal. The young culms strengthen internally as they age, but then gradually decline and become more brittle as new growth replaces them. Running bamboo thrives in full sun and is slower in a partial shade location. Running bamboo can be invasive because of its ability to spread quickly and the difficulty in containing or controlling that spread. Often trenches must be dug and physical barriers installed to prevent invasion of other parts of the garden or neighbouring properties. Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) and Golden Groove Bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) are considered an ‘invasive species’ in some parts of the U.S.A. but not listed as an invasive species by the Invasive Species Council of B.C. or the Coastal Invasive Species Committee.
This sample of rhizome, cleaned of soil, illustrates how the rhizome spreads and sprouts new culms and roots along its length as it grows.
Yellow groove Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Aureocaulis’
Clumping bamboo varieties typically grow outwards from a central stem. Instead of horizontal, spreading rhizomes they send up new ‘U’ shaped culms (stems) next to the original plant and spread only a few inches a year.
Planted in hot sun, they tend to stay far more compact than if planted in semi shaded locations where they will grow more vigorously.
Varieties such as Robust Bamboo (Fargesia robusta) and Dragonhead Bamboo (Fargesia dracocephala ‘rufa’) are very cold tolerant, an important consideration given the ‘Artic outflow’ cold snaps that have occurred in the last two winters on Vancouver Island.
Fargesia robusta
Bamboo species take very little maintenance. They need well-draining soil amended with a little compost or organic fish fertilizer. They require only occasional fertilizing unless you need the bamboo to grow quickly as a privacy screen or if you are growing it in a pot, where it will exhaust the available nutrients more quickly. Watering is critical. During hot summer weather, they need frequent watering, but not so much as to cause root rot. Too dry or too wet is not good for any bamboo. Older canes can be harvested to provide home-grown supports for climbing plants.
Sources:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/containing-and-removing-bamboo/
https://vancouversun.com/homes/gardening/brian-minter-expert-tips-to-grow-bamboo
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/12869/phyllostachys-nigra/details
https://www.greatplantpicks.org/plantlists/view/640
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