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Harbin or Harbin Inversa?

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 1:59 am
by MikeNY
I purchased a plant locally labeled as phyllostachys aureosulcata harbin inversa. I'm not too familiar with this variety or the other variety harbin, Looking at photos online I was questioning whether this plant I purchased was actually harbin inversa. I know from reading on this forum that harbin is a weak plant, so i was not too interested in growing this one. If anyone has an input on which variety they think this plant is, I greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

Re: Harbin or Harbin Inversa?

Posted: Tue May 14, 2019 3:27 pm
by needmore
I think Harbin, not the inverse form. I suspect that you can feel vertical grooves in the culms?

Re: Harbin or Harbin Inversa?

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 2:12 am
by MikeNY
I can definitely feel the vertical grooves on the culms. Any advice for success with this variety? More sheltered location, more manure etc.?

Re: Harbin or Harbin Inversa?

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 2:51 am
by needmore
Weirdest bamboo I ever grew. Only one culm, one time produced new leaves. If winter did not kill it (less hardy by lots than the Inversa) the same leaves would just hang on until winter killed it. Beautiful new culms, just amazing color differences. Nothing I did made it any less weird though!

Re: Harbin or Harbin Inversa?

Posted: Sat May 18, 2019 12:21 pm
by MikeNY
Thanks for all the info Brad! I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy the weirdness and see what happens haha. I’m working on planting a bunch of different Phyllostachys this spring here as I just moved last fall to a house with 5 acres. I just brought back a bunch of divisions from Dave Andrews this week. I’ll keep an update on how all the different varieties handle the climate up here in Rochester NY. I’m definitely finding it’s harder to source some of the Aureosulcata cultivars than I imagined. Being one of the hardiest, I assumed they would be more widely grown!

Re: Harbin or Harbin Inversa?

Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 11:05 am
by dependable
Aureosulcatas are hardy, with the exception of Harbin. It is weird, another word for it might be feeble. Mine lives in a sheltered spot and just sort of sits there year after year, replacing some if its culms as they die early, but not making much progress. It is planted in conditions that would send other aureosulcatas galloping away, yet it barely hangs on.