Temperate bamboo growing in a tropical climate

[stevelau1911]

One question that has always bothered me is if a temperate bamboo can actually grow and thrive in a tropical climate where it never experiences a dormancy period, and I believe I have found my answer. Here are a couple of pictures showing perhaps ph bissettii growing in Hawaii where it hardly every drops below 60F, zone 11 or 12, and there's hardly any change in temperatures from summer to winter.


Here's a new shoot. This plant appears to continually grow new shoots and produce new rhizomes consistently. There's also a whip shoot that appeared to still be growing a few ft away from this shoot.


Culms range from 4-8ft high, and there are multiple shoots all at various stages in development. This plant does appear to be spreading several meters in all directions so the lack of cold is not stopping the spready, but it doesn't appear to have any ability to make shoots any larger than about 1.5cm in size, similar to the size of it's rhizomes. This would be excellent for propagation, but horrible for getting respectable sized culms in the tropics. I'm hoping to find a temperate bamboo here that can manage to increase in size.

Here's likely a tropical clumping bamboo at the same site. I believe this will have much more potential even within a couple years.

[Glen]

I am not able to see your photographs, but your findings are basically correct. If you browse these taxa, look for accessions held at the Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research Center in Mayaguez, PR.
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal ... ys&id=9324

Some of them have photographs showing the growth form of Phyllostachys in a hot climate with no real winter. They are as you describe.

If fact, even in subtropical Texas, we see the negative effects of some combination of temperature, drought, latitude, and maybe other factors, on cold-climate bamboos. Some of the more cold tolerant species, like P. aureosulcata, just make a dense mess of small diameter culms. In fact, plantings of this species often fail completely down here. I am always amazed when I see the beauty of this species when grown in the Northeast United States. P. rubromarginata is another plant that seems to like more cold than it gets here. While it is very strong growing, it just spreads vigorously, producing a dense mess of small diameter culms.

On the other hand, in Texas, species like P. aurea and P. viridis will reach sizes that match their potential anywhere in the world. They will do this under the exact conditions that cause the above mentioned problems with the apparently cold requiring species.

[wolfedg]

@Glen
This is the nice thing about bamboo, It seems there is a bamboo for every situation, the trick is to find which one it is.

[Cooper12]

Steve, I think Brad mentioned Sinobambusa tootsik is out there in numerous areas?

[stevelau1911]

Aside from that one runner, I haven't seen any other bamboos aside from clumpers likely in the bambusa family. There are lots of the yellow type with green stripes that gets to around 2.5-3 inches in diameter.

It only appears that bamboo is sold off the big island, but I haven't seen any of the common nurseries here. I think varieties are limited, but I would be able to try sprouting moso seeds to see what they can do. Perhaps I can try to get some seeds of tropical clumping types too if I'm able to get a place with a decent amount of space.

[needmore]

Steve, there are bamboo only nurseries also on Maui but lots of nurseries on O'ahu sell bamboo. Head to Waimanalo and you'll find many nurseries, most will have some bamboo. I found that the Koolau Farmers store in Kalihi had some interesting species.

After emerging from the tunnels on the Pali Hwy when heading windward, go a bit and there is a vast grove of short Phy on the right. I had Aurea I got somewhere, don't recall. I don't know if it is true but resources claim that Phy bambusoides & Phy aurea will do better than other Phy's in tropical climates. I think Moso will crap out but let us know. There are so many interesting clumpers to grow there I wouldn't mess with runners other than the S tootsik which you'll see on the Pali before going into the tunnels going windward. Go to the Manoa Falls trail and you can stand in huge groves of BIG S tootsik 5 minutes up the trail, my photos here were taken there.


BTW - the yellow/green stripe form everywhere is Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata'

[mountainbamboonut]

Wait, am I tracking the logic properly...are you saying that some Phyllos actually size up more in colder climates because they are not constantly shooting etc.? That is very interesting if so, I had no clue that was the case. Score one for the cold climates then?

[Glen]

Wait, am I tracking the logic properly...are you saying that some Phyllos actually size up more in colder climates because they are not constantly shooting etc.? That is very interesting if so, I had no clue that was the case. Score one for the cold climates then?

Some of the best cool climate Phyllostachys show clear stress in Texas, even if the soil is great and rainfall is adequate. As for the reason, that is hard to say. In Texas, it has nothing to do with continuous shooting. All Phyllostachys will normally shoot once here, just like they do in cool climates, but some will never attain a large size, and usually look stressed. I suspect that they have some kind of chilling requirement, similar to many woody plants. Without enough cold in winter, these varieties might just produce weak growth. Anecdotally, it seems that some Phyllostachys shoot better after cold winters here.