bambooweb.info

An attractive medium-size tropical, produces many culms each year, taller under trees. Tolerates sea breezes.

I think it's time we put this description to rest "Tolerates sea breezes". The problem with it is several fold.

Every time I do a plant sale (did one this weekend) I get requests for the "salt tolerant" bamboo. The description doesn't say "salt tolerant", but that is the interpretation that a lot of people are getting by reading this statement. They want a bamboo that they can grow at their beach home or along side a salt water canal. I don't think it has any more of a liking for salt than does any other bamboo, which brings me to another problem with using the phrase on the description.

If B. malingensis tolerates salt in some form or another, then the conclusion by many then is that bamboos are salt sensitive plants (more so than most plants) because B. malingensis is singled out as tolerating salt in its daily life.

We even have a big grower of plants using the term "Seaside Bamboo" as a nickname for B. malingensis. And I'm sure they got the idea for the nickname from the ABS Source List. I believe it is Morning Star Nursery that is using that nickname.

If we need a description replacement for the "Sodium" removal, then I'm sure we can get some ideas from these pictures of B. malingensis:

I couldn't agree more with that Roy. I've had a lot of folks ask if there are any "salt tolerant" bamboos available any where. I just tell them that as far as I know their salt tolerance's are all about the same around here.
I live a block from the top of Tampa Bay and I've seen no differences in any of the boo I'm growing here. They all look great with one exception - B. vulgaris 'wamin'. I've got 3 of them and they've all looked like crap all year.

Mike

My B. vulgaris 'wamin' ( in full sun) is now entering the season where it looks tired. It looks good only in middle or late summer. I think I will move half of it to dappled light and see what happens.

You know if they can say Bambusa malingensis tolerates salt air and sea breezes then they should call Bambusa 'Ventricosa' BUDDHA'S BELLY Water Bamboo or tolerates standing water and floods because this large stand was under water for over 6 months some years ago with no ill effects except that it doubled in size from all the water! Does anyone know if that is true of other bamboos? Notice the lake to the left that flooded a few years back.

Actually, part of it now is always in the water! I say replace
tuldoides with the name water; Bambusa water 'Ventricosa' BUDDHA'S BELLY.

Never thought I would say this in South Texas with only 27 inches of rain a year... but, I guess I need to plant more "water" bamboo. I can tell you a whole bunch of bamboo that definitely don't like water. I have areas of my property that are still under water. Seems like we get just two or three days at most since December of last year with no rain.

Dendrocalamus Grandis and Dendrocalamus Validus both are ok with flooding. They are sitting in the water with no problems. Both are shooting.

D. Asper definitely doesn't like standing in water... it's gone now. But, the D. Asper "Betung Hitam" is doing just great. That may have to do with the veins of sand on my property. The Betung Hitam may be closer to a vein that drains the water away.

Boonut, do you have any Bambusa 'Ventricosa' in standing water? not I have some I can give you. I can never give it away, everyone has it it seems, or can't deal with how big it gets. This one is in lake muck that was dug out of the lake long ago, not much sand at all.