Dwarf Yellow Striped Bamboo

I have found a place in OH that has for sale (in the spring only) a Dwarf Yellow Striped Bamboo. 'Pleioblastus viridistriatus'. However when I search for the scientific name, I come up with all sorts of bamboos that fit that name. The brochure says it is a hardy (but doesn't say to what zone) and vigorous 5' bamboo with boldly yellow variegated green leaves. Does anyone have any information about this bamboo? Like hardy to what zone? Thanks so much.

Jenny, zone 5a

I emailed the company about this bamboo. It is hardy for my zone! :o) They said though that it does best in part shade....the colors are much more vibrant she said. I would have never guessed that.

I'm wondering how you keep bamboo under control? They say it is vigorous and invasive. That's not all bad for where I want to put it.....but is bamboo hard to dig? Or what is the best way to contain it?

Any suggestions for winter protection for bamboo in zone 5?

Jenny

you can buy bamboo barriers google it or maybe someone might know a good place. I planted mine in the middle of an open area so I marked the biggest area I want and just mow down the rest - so far so good.

I have read that you can dig a trench 1 foot deep by 1 foot wide to control the bamboo from spreading. When a rhizome tried to cross the trench you just cut it off.

I didn't realize you could mow it off. Just with the lawnmower?

Jenny

it worked so far... maybe mine is just a easy one but it is working so far....

Neat! What variety do you have?

Jenny

Not to for sure, bright green and gets to about 8 ft, clumping (one of those HD pots you get and are neer to for sure what you got)

I wish this one was clumping, but it's a runner. Seems if you control it from the start, it shouldn't get out of hand. This one gets about 5 feet. They are shipping it Monday. I'm anxious to see what it looks like!

Jenny

I was really into bamboo a few years back. unless you want to plant it in the back forty and let it take over an area not used I steer clear. It will go through almost anything except metal. I have watergardens it went through my liner and it was the heaviest rubber flat roofing material I could find ..almost ruined my pond and it took weeks to dig it all out. I wouldn't trust commercial barriers unless metal or hard plastic and the go down at least 5 feet . Much to much trouble IMHO. This spring five years later I found some growing in my front yard I had missed and not seen in that five year period. Yes mowing will control it IN THAT AREA but it will lateral 50ft till it finds a bush or tree and then your screwed remove it all or bamboo everywhere I HATE BAMBOO it's pretty but only a real risk taker would fool with it. Now there are a few clumping bamboos at raintree they are ok and wont spead but the one i have kept is 5 yrs old and not much account here in Il. it dies back in winter...but if your climate permits clumpers are ok..David

Jenny, did you get your bamboo, and how is it looking here almost a month later?

Hi there BogweedBuck. :o) Yes I did get the bamboo. It's doing fine. Hasn't grown alot since I got it. But from what I've read from spring till about July the plant focuses on above ground growth (the plant itself), and from July till frost it focuses on underground/root growth. So I didn't expect it to grow much anyway. It's holding it's color quite nicely, even though it's in full sun. I'm anxious to see what it does next season. :o) Thanks for asking. Jenny

You're quite welcome. I just got my first bit of the same plant a couple weeks ago and was a little bummed out when it hit me that it will most likely spend the rest of this season concentrating its efforts underground. Of course, that was the case with our Houttuynia last year ... I was ill-prepared for the fruit of its intensive efforts beneath the soil come mid spring this year!

The leaf color of this Pleioblastus is really nice, is it not?! It's our hope that this beautiful little bamboo will ultimately become an attractive (albeit tall) ground cover. It seems that it may be easy enough to keep it down to about 2 or 3 feet tall each year. It's in a 15'+ "island" in the gardens surround our pond. Some of it will be shaded by colocasias and a banana tree, some of it will be enjoying full day sun.

I also received some Phyllostachys aureosulcata (yellow groove bamboo) and hope to keep that contained to a relatively tidy litte grove. It is raised about 6 inches above the surrounding garden area and I trenched it down another few inches. I dunno ... we'll see if the idea being a surface runner and being able to catch shoots at the trench actually works. If not, I suppose our work will be "cut out" for us some time in the next couple of years! lol

Neat! I wish you well with yours also. My husband convinced me not to use the trench method. I don't want a very big spread of the bamboo anyway, so he talked me into planting it in a container burried in the ground. It's a deep container, and we did put drainage holes.....so I hope the roots don't go deep enough to escape the holes....or I'll have my work "cut out" for me also. LOL I sure wish our summer season was longer. I'm not ready for it to be almost over. Here in IN, we'll probably have frost in 2 months. Seems like it takes forever to warm up......and the plants finally fill out nicely, and we only get to really enjoy them for a month or two. I'd give anything to grow tropicals like you have. I do have 2 banana plants that I got this season. The plan is to bring them into my sunroom for the winter. I grow tropical hibiscus too I guess. Ah heck, I should just be happy I live in zone 5 and not zone 2 or 3. LOL :O) Jenny

Jenny, where did you get the variegated bamboo..I would love to buy some but from what you said it is sold in the spring?..I would keep the name to order it since I love vareigated and bamboo is becoming one of my favorites too..well alot of plants are becoming favorites...lolol...Judy

Hi Judy! The place was called Companion Plants, Athens, OH Phone: 740-592-4643 www.companionplants.com The specific bamboo was called Pleioblastus viridistriatus, and was item # PLE50. ;o) Hope this helps. Jenny

Jenny thanks for the info..i couldnt find any bamboo in their catalog so i emailed them for info...I live in zone 5/6 so this would be perfect for me...and me and variegated love each other..lolol...Judy

Good luck! :O) Mine is doing quite well so far. :) Jenny

JUST starting to see the first fresh shoots!

Hey Jenny, if you get any shoots that escape, let me know ... I actually have a garden that I want this stuff to go nuts within.

Hi Buck. I caught a glimps the other day when I was mowing....and I think I might have new shoots too. I'll have to take a closer look. I'll let you know if it gets out of hand for me. ;O) Jenny

Jenny
I have a Pleioblastus viridistriatus and it dies to the ground each winter so in the spring I mow it off and the new growth is about a foot tall. It also does not like it when it is in the sun when the temperatures are in the upper 90s to 100s. It needs afternoon shade.
Mine does not spread much. After 2 winters it has only grown a foot from the original planting.

There are photos at:
http://www.bambooweb.info/ShowPictures2.php?BooID=367&s=7

Hollenback, your's only gets about a foot tall? Am I understanding that correctly? Jenny

Here in California this runner is not a big threat for severe spread, either... at least not in my experience... it is one of the 'safest' running bamboos I have grown, and have since not bothered with rhizome barriers... It's a beautiful species, but even here in zone 9b it saddens up in the winter... mowing it actually seems to invigorate it.