Name that bamboo

OK, two questions. First, do any of you know what the common bamboo you see it growing alongside the road all over South Carolina? Typically it's fairly small clumps of it, usually a hundred foot or so and it's never very tall. I have gotten the idea it is Timber Bamboo, but it seems too small for that almost. Just curious if any of you have any idea what variety of "wild" bamboo it might be.

Reason I ask is because I've collected a few pieces of it and I'd like to start building a screen in my backyard. My backyard is on a hill and my fence on the lower portion of the yard is really good for only keeping things out of the yard - but you can see right over it into my neighbors yard and beyond. See the photo below.

I'd like to plant this bamboo on the lower part of my retaining wall (between it and the fence), which is actually taller than it looks in the photo. The fence is 6 foot and the bed is around 3-4' at its highest point in the middle. I feel the bamboo would provide an excellent shield and also provide a great backdrop for what I'm about to do in that part of the yard (put in several banana, alocasia, and palms). I have a clumping bamboo in the ground there (since last fall) but I am not willing to wait 10 years for it to develop and provide my "barrier." Since no one lives in the two houses behind us at the moment (and some have yet to be built) - I figured this was the time to get my "barrier" in place.

My concern of course with using a running bamboo is, well, the fact it runs. My yard would likely be fine. It's not going to jump into my bed since the concrete blocks go about 2' into the ground at the base. Plus it'd have trouble fighting into the woods off to the left. I think the bamboo would also have trouble spreading to the right, up over the "hole" behind the wall. But I have no doubt it'll try and go under the fence and into my neighbors yard beside us. And given it's a very moist environment down there... I suspect the bamboo will thrive and spread. I know I can put guard in and that I can even destroy new culms that appear. But I am concerned my neighbor might not kill off the bamboo that spreads. I just don't want it to get out of control and I obviously can't go over and kill it for him. I suspect he may not even care about it. But others beyond his property might.

Am I being a worry wart on this? Or should I just go ahead and put it in the ground and try and get that privacy shield in place? I really just want to make the yard a bit more private - everyone can see in so easily right now.

Thanks,
John

This message was edited Mar 24, 2008 10:51 AM

Hrm, or maybe this would work behind the wall?

the bamboo that i see growing in the woods all over the state is a native (i think) and i have always called it canebreak bamboo or river cane( arundinaria gigantea) which is the habitat of the canebreak rattlesnake, i think
heres a link into the Plantfiles entry for it : http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/147227/

I guess what I'm seeing is not natural then. I've seen the type you noted around the Broad River, but this type I've been grabbing from places is much larger - some stalks are probably up to several inches in circumference.

Speaking of which, when bamboo measurements are given, are they talking about circumference or diameter? If it's diameter, then the largest I've seen in the groves are 2-3".

Here's a really bad photos of some very small pieces I've gotten a hold of. I'll post better photos once I have them. I have a decent stalk in the garage potted still.

i dont know about the bamboo measurements... you could ask on the grasses and bamboos forum

John, unless someone swears on their mother's head that it is a clumper, I would stay as far away as possible from it. (Core is laughing at this point; I am so paranoid about invasives) The native bamboo culms can go down 3' and come up on the other side of your barrier.

We had a Golden Retriever once who adored bamboo shoots and were able to keep a running bamboo in check with his help but unless you want your (future) neighbors to hate you stick with the known clumpers. The clumping ones do take about 3 years to get going but then they are wonderful to see. You need to start with good sized plants.

Why don't you ask Melanie or Andy at Riverbanks for a recommendation. They might even have some plants at their plant sale. They could give you and ID on your fat one also.

We've started work on a 3' barrier system in the ground (I did some digging tonight and am worn out already from the roots I had to get through on the wood side), so I think that'll do the trick to keep it from spreading. I did a lot of research today on the barrier systems and I feel pretty confident that so long as I don't get the extremely invasive type I'll be able to control it in that type of environment. I'm exceeding the recommended 24" and going with 30" and 40 mil thickness.

The one I own now currently I'm positive is a clumper... bought it online from California. But it's growth rate can take it years (10 or more) to make it worth having. I can't go that long with that gaping hole in the yard. I think this is a good solution, and at least now we're actually using the barrier. Originally I was just gonna plop them in the ground, LOL.

How large was that CA bamboo when you got it? I can't imagine them taking that long at all. I have one that is about 4' in diameter at the base and it is only about 5 years old. I got it at Baker's Nursery, a wholesale place in Yemassee that sells to the public. It was in a 3 gallon pot when I bought it.

It was in a 1 gallon pot I believe... 3' tall or so (maybe one stalk was 4') and it had about 4-5 stalks total. Even five years would be a long time.

DW and I are actually discussing the idea of using koi ponds again down there behind the retaining wall. I think that'll work best since we're dealing with elevation changes/slopes, etc. Plus A LOT of roots. Over in the yard itself, we'll likely try and use the 30" barrier system, though honestly we may just use a koi pond there too. The cost is similar. And at least with the koi ponds there's no chance of the rhizomes escaping under the barrier. Only issue really is that the koi ponds are rarely more than 18" deep. So I'd just have to make sure I try and prune new rhizome growth so the plant wouldn't suffocate.

This message was edited Mar 24, 2008 10:22 PM

Wow, the koi ponds have a thickness of 120mil or more... so that'll definitely keep them from penetrating it. The barrier material is usually at best 40-60 mil in thickness.

I read somewhere that another individual had tried this. I think this is the route we'll take since it seems to be the ultimate control. Only concern I have is the depth and it choking the bamboo. The angle of the ponds should keep new rhizomes shooting up out of the ponds though, which with regular inspection will allow me to chop those off. We'll likely leave several inches of the ponds above the surface to be safe.

If this works out... I'll post pictures.

This message was edited Mar 24, 2008 10:23 PM

i don't really understand the koi idea.... can you explain???

I might be using the wrong term. These kind of ponds (see link below)... I'd sink them in the ground (all except for a few inches) and fill them with soil. Then plant the bamboo like I would any other item. The thick plastic would definitely contain the rhizomes and any that did try to "escape" I could chop off when they rose out of the container. That's essentially how the barrier works, only in my case my "barrier" would have a thick bottom as well.

Many shapes in sizes are available. Seems like they'd do the trick.
http://www.maccourt.com/products/ponds.html

This message was edited Mar 24, 2008 10:41 PM

Here's an example of how an ideal barrier (the option I was considering) would be installed:
http://www.lewisbamboo.com/barrier3.jpg

In my case, I don't have quite that flat of terrain and I have tree roots to deal with (even though I already chopped through a few). So given my uneven terrain and small space... the ponds seems like the best option at this point.

oh... i thought you were putting the ponds in the ground and actually using them as ponds, and somehow that would keep the bamboo in check by just being near the pond

Nope, putting bamboo in so it doesn't get out, LOL

LOL I'm so dumb!

How about drainage? Won't you have to put a couple of holes in the ponds for that?

I will, but I think I can strategically do it by using a layer of gravel sitting over a layer of curved concrete or really tight wire. I'd only need 3-5 holes per pond I think. Whatever I do, I'll make it so water can get out... but the rhizome can't. I'm sure it's not 100% foolproof, but I usually am pretty attentive to the plants and will keep an eye out. I've got some more thinking to do on the drainage though. Gravel would of course raise the water table in the container, which I don't want.

Another thought. Instead of 4-5 large holes with some sort of barrier above them, I could also use the drill to make 20 very small drainage holes. The rhizome *might* find those holes, but since the plastic is so thick, there's no way it'd get through it. I read clumping bamboo roots can push through anything, but everything I saw on running bamboo said it usually doesn't push very hard, it always just tries to go around the obstacle. So maybe the small holes idea would work as well.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2008 8:25 AM

keoinikale

you have phyllostachys aurea.....I think some places advertise it is a clumper, but it does run, especially if you've seen it all over. I have some that has been well behaved but I've tortured it from the start so it's scared to go anywhere. I didn't know I needed a barrier when I planted it, and it has not gotten out of hand but it was planted in pure clay no amending and I purposely don't water it. It's doubled over the past two years but was small to begin with.

I think you have good barrier ideas, any hole you leave those roots will find, though. In a pond liner I wouldn't think you wouldn't need drainage, bamboo loves water and it would be fine without any, plus there's so much more heat down there and you guys have that sandy soil those roots just ooze through. IMO, if you keep an eye on the shoots and cut them early, you shouldn't have a problem. Lots of places mow the shoots on a low setting every few weeks. I don't have enough to bother, have only had to cut/pull a few so far.

but I'm sure whoever buys the house after us is going to hate me for planting it..lol

Thanks tropicanna, I may just not put any holes in the ponds then. I purchased two this morning and I think they will work great for this purpose. I bought some hardware cloth wire, the real fine type to put over the holes I'd planed to drill - but if you believe we could do without the holes, then by all means I'll skip the trouble. If I do make any, they'll be about the size of a toothpick only... just several of them like a bath drain.

I guess here's my thinking, hopefully this makes sense. Where I see p. aurea running wild here in NC, even in the Appalachian region, is near river and creeksides.
I have tried to not water mine even in the drought, and it did fine, but hasn't threatened to take over.Our soil is way compacted here compared to yours and I have still found runners (a few, but not many) several feet from the plant. Don't be surprised if they find a way out of any barrier, but I think depriving mine of water is what keeps it in check (along with the clay, which you don't have).

So my hypotheses is if you planted it in the pond liner (with or without drainage) and didn't bother to water unless it looks like it's dying on you (let nature do the work although I feel like we'll have drought again this year)..that it would still grow just fine but not take over the world. Hard to say if those roots would crawl through a toothpick sized hole, but when I bought my bamboo, runners had busted through the drainage holes in the pot big time and were growing all the way around the bottom of the pot

honestly those runners weren't nearly as hard to pull up as wild onions, pokeweed, zebra grass , etc, and the ones I just cut back haven't done much growing

I love mine and I'd do an entire hedge it I could :)

Well we thought of another flaw with the holes idea. It might work against us, as in opposite the idea of drainage... the area down there is boggy almost... makes me wonder what the land looked like BEFORE they developed it. But water might actually drain Into my ponds, versus out. So we'll go without the drainage, or I'll put a thin layer of gravel at the bottom of the deep part and put a clear fish tank tub hanging out so I could use a pump to get the water out if it built up really bad. The holes are probably just asking for trouble (letting water in and possibly allowing the bamboo to escape. Not worth the risk either way.

I'll post a pic shortly of the two ponds I bought for down there... we'll need two more and then we can start digging again. I figure I can sink them at least a few inches in the ground, and the wall/fence will hide the rest of the pond stucture. They'll basically be just liked raised pots - big ones. Plus this allows the next landowner to get rid of them easily if they don't like them. Nothing will actually be IN the ground.

Here's the set up before we sink them a bit. The clumping bamboo you see is my Thamnocalamus tessellatus which I believe will grow very slowly down in that part of the yard. Plus it's likely a bit too wet and dark down there. That part of the yard only gets early morning sun. No idea why I thought it would work down there. I'll probably dig it up and move into a more suitable location in the backyard.

Here's another shot of the two further into the wooded area, again with the Thamnocalamus tessellatus in front.

I think that will work just fine, good luck...you can eat the shoots but I never have :)

I might try it, LOL - at least once. We're thinking now we might put a different type of hardy bamboo in each separate container. That'd be kind of neat to have a contained bamboo garden with several varieties. Thanks to everyone for the help, ideas, and warnings (never can be too safe with Bamboo).

nigra is beautiful if you can find/afford it

Actually, now that you mention it... I do know someone locally that sells it. We'll give it a shot - thanks for reminding me about that one. There's so many types.

That one really runs. I wanted to put some in a container on my deck which is about 5' off the ground where I was going to place it. The lady at the nursery said the roots would easily drop down between the boards on the deck and take off in the ground.

I wouldn't put holes in the pond or you will get runners. The 3 ft barrier will work or a raised bed 3 ft higher in elevation. I noticed in places like Disney they seem to like to build raised beds to keep the bamboo under control.

From what I've heard about nigra it is on the aggressive side, I'm not not sure if I'm brave enough to plant that. Some of these running bamboo can send up a shoot 30-40 ft away from where the main plant is. How you get rid of it when you hit that point I'm not real sure. I will bet it's not easy. Then on the other hand bamboo is grass a good grass killer might get it.

Timber bamboo won't spread and there are a bunch that clump so I would stick to one of those. The wild ones are runners, I can show you a huge area down by the Savannah wild life place that is loaded with that bamboo and it doesn't look like a clumper at all.

Here this is useful. http://www.bambooplantation.com/files/price_list.php

This is a neighbors bamboo screen. These clumpers are planted between 6' and 10' apart and some of them are already more than 12' tall. These were planted as full 3 gallon pots 3 years ago.

A close up. Remember, if you were to plant them in those fish ponds and use good soil, yours would really go to town, growth wise.

Still another close up - of the culms this time. I can't remember the name of this one but I think it is cool with the green stripes.

Got one pond installed tonight.. it's a darn bog down there, argh. But all four should fit in nicely.

We'll be putting some pretty high quality soil in them on Saturday (if we have them dug in - I want to plant my yard the next few days).

I'll take a look at the clumper's again... any specific varieties that are fast growers? If nigra is very aggressive, I might not try it in that small contained area. It wouldn't escape (no holes will be in the containers), but it might choke itself out or not clump very well. My screen won't do much if I just have 4 shoots in it, LOL.

The small bamboo groves I see around here, they might actually be semi-clumpers. Some of them seem to stick to a pretty tight bunch... and just an occasional one jumps 10-15 foot away from the group. I grew a few small shoot in a pot once, and it seems to keep pretty tight.

I would like to try several varieties though. These ponds are a decent size each at 57"x30"x18"

OK, maybe we can confirm the type I've dug up locally is in fact phyllostachys aurea. I was at work earlier but had a chance to take some shots tonight of it. This is what I hope to put primarily in the ponds. 20-30' would be an excellent height. And if this is in fact phyllostachys aurea, it seems to be a smaller bamboo, which is good too.

We used bamboo for fishing poles back when I was a kid, so that's another reason I think this might be it. The base of the culm sure looks the same as photos I was comparing.

Another shot of one I have in doors in a pot (will move it into the ponds too).

The leaves... not doing to well, but I transplanted it in the middle of winter.

Those sort of look like buddha bellies. I know they keep buddha bellies in contianers in the ground to try and force them show buddha bellies. At least that's how i understand it. That bamboo ardesia showed growing is common on Hilton Head as a screen. It ges some where around 15 ft in height and I have never seen it run. Just a tight clump, the clumps do get bigger but not very fast and easy to prune off if you want. Don't remember the name.

Here's a buddha belly.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/34418/

Would the buddha belly be growing out wild by the interstate though? That's where I dug it up, LOL

No, I seriously doubt it.