I have a long narrow highly walled entryway to my house. One of these wall currently has Ivy growing up it but due to it's invasive nature, I am having it removed. I would like to replace the ivy with a plant that grows vertically, has few leaves and is non-invasive either to the wall or spreading out of control. I live in Houston, so it would have to be drought and heat tolerant too, plus be happy in a very shady location.
Is there a bamboo that would fit these requirements?
Thank you.
Bamboo for shaded alleyway
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Bamboo Outlaw
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- Location: We are less than one hour south of downtown Houston. We are located in Wild Peach, Texas located half way between Brazoria and West Columbia. Exit hwy 36 onto County Road 354. Take County Road 353 west . Go approximately 2.4 miles. We are on the left.
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Re: Bamboo for shaded alleyway
Has anyone tried Bambusa Richard Waldron sp. in a very shady location? I run into this question many times from clients. All I have grown were either in full sun or filtered light. I would suspect the larger sized leaves relative to the overall plant would make it a good selection for this application. One client recently bought this plant to line his narrow entry way in total shade. It is too early to get reports back.
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ShmuBamboo
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Re: Bamboo for shaded alleyway
I wish I had more shade here for bamboos! Fargesia and Borinda bamboos are all clumpers, and they like shade. Many types of both genuses are available, and some in striking color combinations of leaves and culms. Himalayacalamus bamboo would do well in that type of location as well, and it would grow taller and has fewer leaves (it is also a clumper). Thamnocalamus crassinodus would be another one to consider, but it can get pretty leafy. The Borindas and Himalayacalamus bamboos would probably be more in line with what you are looking for.
Last edited by ShmuBamboo on Sat May 15, 2010 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Happy trails...
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needmore
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Re: Bamboo for shaded alleyway
You don't think that the heat in Houston, shade or not, would be an issue for them?ShmuBamboo wrote:I wish I had more shade here for bamboos! Fargesia and Borinda bamboos are all clumpers, and they like shade. Many types of both genuses are available, and some in striking color combinations of leaves and culms. Himalayacalamus bamboo would do well in that type of location as well, and it would grow taller. Thamnocalamus crassinodus would be another one to consider.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
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ShmuBamboo
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Re: Bamboo for shaded alleyway
Well, you have a point there, but I see that they sell these boos at boo nurseries in the Houston area??? I do not think that the heat would be as much an issue with them in the shade with the high humidity. In full sun forget it, but in that case there are the Bambusas. In the ground bamboos seem to have a lot wider tolerance than what is typically listed by the ABS. We regulary get into the 100s here in the summer months and they do fine in the ground at my brother's place, and he has all of his boos (all the clumpers I listed as well as others) in full sun. Its the winters here that do them in, even stressing the Fargesias.needmore wrote:
You don't think that the heat in Houston, shade or not, would be an issue for them?
The Bambusa clumpers that do well in high heat all want full sun. There is no perfect answer to this request... non-leafy, shade loving, heat loving, clumping bamboos. So you have to go with marginal answers. Oops, I missed the 'dought tolerant' requirement in the OP. These would all have to be watered to survive in the heat. I can see them all dying now... so I suppose I have to change my answer to the question in the OP to there are none! Seems that there should be some though, like those weedy bamboos that they have all over Hilton Head Island. I do not know if they are clumpers though. They are drought tolerant, heat tolerant, sun tolerant, shade tolerant, not too leafy, but they all croaked when I dug some up and brought them back here. Not cold tolerant at all.
Happy trails...
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dudley
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zone 9a/b
right between too cold & not cold enough
Re: Bamboo for shaded alleyway
all my bambusas are in the shade and seem to do pretty well. a little slower to size up, but I think if they get just a little sun they should survive. it's the having few leaves which is the dilemma.
how does textilis do in texas?
how does textilis do in texas?
"Plants are people just like us"
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Mike McG
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Re: Bamboo for shaded alleyway
itredler,
I am not sure that bamboo would be the right plant for your location. It is difficult to guess your situation without a picture or dimensions. What is on the other side of the walls? Are these house walls or garden walls? How tall a plant are you looking for? How far can it spread at the top?
Many of the mountain bamboos that do well in the Pacific North West that ShmuBamboo mentioned will struggle in South Texas if they survive at all. Even some of the Chimonobambusas such as C. quadrangularis and C. tumidissinoda seem to dislike the heat and drought even in deep shade. Chimonobambusa marmorea 'Variegata' seems to handle the heat and shade OK, Also these are runners and will need to be controlled.
B. textilis does great in the Houston area as do most of the bambusas and they can handle shade especially from the sides, but for the most part they get fairly big. Some of the Bambusas spread quite a bit at the top, but will grow straighter (and taller) in the shade. Many such as Bambusa pervariabilis 'Viridistriatus' or Lako have very attractive culms and may be of more interest, but as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
My choice would be Sinobambusa tootsik "Albostriata" which has a variegated leaf, is very narrow; and which I have growing in fairly heavy shade along side my house and under a live oak. Mine does not have lower branches where heavily shaded. It is a runner but since I do not water it, it is fairly well behaved. It is a runner will need some monitoring of shoots where you do not want them in May (mine is shooting right now). It tends to run and then clump, run and clump.
Some pictures of Sinobambusa tootsik and "Albostriata" from this website:
Another upright running bamboo with somewhat similar growth habit is Semiarundinaria fastuosa. It is also a runner that will require some monitoring of new shoots in March/April in South Texas. As I recall in this picture posted here by Mike from Marietta, SC, he indicated that the new shoots had been kicked over in the spring where they were not wanted to keep this runner growing as a clump.
Lastly, I am surpised
Steve didn't suggest that you vist Mercer BG next weekend for the Bamboo Festival on Sat. and Sun., May 22 and 23. I sure Steve and a lot of other knowledgeable people will be there. You can get a chance to see a whole load of bamboo growing in the gardens and I expect there will also be lots for sale. http://bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4015
Mike near Brenham TX
I am not sure that bamboo would be the right plant for your location. It is difficult to guess your situation without a picture or dimensions. What is on the other side of the walls? Are these house walls or garden walls? How tall a plant are you looking for? How far can it spread at the top?
Many of the mountain bamboos that do well in the Pacific North West that ShmuBamboo mentioned will struggle in South Texas if they survive at all. Even some of the Chimonobambusas such as C. quadrangularis and C. tumidissinoda seem to dislike the heat and drought even in deep shade. Chimonobambusa marmorea 'Variegata' seems to handle the heat and shade OK, Also these are runners and will need to be controlled.
B. textilis does great in the Houston area as do most of the bambusas and they can handle shade especially from the sides, but for the most part they get fairly big. Some of the Bambusas spread quite a bit at the top, but will grow straighter (and taller) in the shade. Many such as Bambusa pervariabilis 'Viridistriatus' or Lako have very attractive culms and may be of more interest, but as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
My choice would be Sinobambusa tootsik "Albostriata" which has a variegated leaf, is very narrow; and which I have growing in fairly heavy shade along side my house and under a live oak. Mine does not have lower branches where heavily shaded. It is a runner but since I do not water it, it is fairly well behaved. It is a runner will need some monitoring of shoots where you do not want them in May (mine is shooting right now). It tends to run and then clump, run and clump.
Some pictures of Sinobambusa tootsik and "Albostriata" from this website:
Another upright running bamboo with somewhat similar growth habit is Semiarundinaria fastuosa. It is also a runner that will require some monitoring of new shoots in March/April in South Texas. As I recall in this picture posted here by Mike from Marietta, SC, he indicated that the new shoots had been kicked over in the spring where they were not wanted to keep this runner growing as a clump.
Lastly, I am surpised
Steve didn't suggest that you vist Mercer BG next weekend for the Bamboo Festival on Sat. and Sun., May 22 and 23. I sure Steve and a lot of other knowledgeable people will be there. You can get a chance to see a whole load of bamboo growing in the gardens and I expect there will also be lots for sale. http://bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4015Mike near Brenham TX