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What's Blooming: Bamboo!

 


What’s Blooming:  Bamboo!
by Kolt Herkstroeter, Gardener, Gardens on Spring Creek

Winter in Colorado can often be overlooked horticulturally, with a vast array of plants going into dormancy, patiently waiting for the hospitable conditions of spring. Many people look to coniferous plants  to help fill the void of green during these cold, lackluster months. Among a celebration of pines, spruces, junipers and firs, a surprising guest has shown up on the scene. Rarely seen and not from around these parts, bamboo is often used as an indoor plant.  However, it does have horticultural significance in the cold, windy winters of Colorado, and it is here to party.

For most Colorado natives such as myself, bamboo is an exotic plant that is infrequently talked about or used in our neck of the woods. For others coming from warmer and wetter eastern areas of the United States, bamboo is typically seen as a tree (even though it’s a grass), weed, privacy screen or just another plant that grows out of control. Botanically speaking, bamboo is classified in the Poaceae family, also known in commonly the grass family.  The family Bambusoideae is then further broken down into three tribes (taxonomic distinctions): Bambuseae, which are tropical “woody” bamboos, Olyreae, which are herbaceous bamboos and Arundinarieae, which are temperate “woody” bamboos that have relevance  to the harsh Colorado climate. 

In addition to these groupings, bamboo also has two distinct types of growth patterns: clumping and spreading. Clumping is frequently desired since spreading types tend to get out of control without extra precautionary tactics. Most of the temperate woody bamboos that tolerate Colorado’s climate are clumping, which makes them a viable option for an evergreen plant that tolerates the range of seasons we experience, often all in one day. 

Of the various types of bamboo, there are three species that are native to the United States; however, all grow in the Eastern and Southern portions of the country that are warmer and wetter year around.  Where does Colorado fit into this bamboo equation? There are a number of different bamboos that are native to China but grow in climates similar to ours here in Colorado.  These plants tolerate changing seasons, cold weather, snow and even manage to stay green for many of the coldest months of the year. Many of these species grow at elevations in southeast China similar to or higher than the Front Range of Colorado. 

Here at the Gardens on Spring Creek, you will find Phyllostachys aureosulcata, or yellow groove bamboo, growing year around behind the Everitt Pavilion. It prefers full sun to partial shade but does require a bit more water than what we typically see with precipitation, and a wide range of soil preferences allows for decent growth in our alkaline soils. How does it do with the cold?  Well, it is cold hardy to USDA Zone 5 (Fort Collins is at the cold end of this range) but can stay green and happy all winter unless temperatures dip below -15 degrees Fahrenheit, which does happen occasionally. If such an occurrence does take place, the top shoots will freeze and go dormant until the spring when the roots will send up more shoots and continue growth – similar to many other perennials in Colorado. Well established, longer-growing stands tend to be better with colder temperatures. 

Another species of interest is Phyllostachys bissetii, or Bissett bamboo, which has a similar growth habit to Phyllostachys aureosulcata.  This species also fairs very well in Colorado, and I have been growing it at my house in Fort Collins for three years now.  The plants are slowly maturing and growing much taller in size. Depending on the source, Bissett bamboo is described to be cold hardy to USDA Zone 5 or 4. My experience is -15 to -20 degrees is when the canes tend to freeze and go dormant for the winter.  However, new shoots always come back in the spring. 

For the average gardener or horticultural enthusiast, bamboo in Colorado may not be at the top of your list of plants you want to see in your yard or even in a landscape setting. However, these plants do grow in our climate and provide a nice sprinkle of green during the cold winter months. Bamboo will likely require additional water during the summer, especially during the hot dry months, and requires winter watering if there is an extended lack of snow.  Bamboo prefers to grow in south-facing or protected environments but will also grow in other areas, like its north-facing site at The Gardens. 

Gardeners may also want to install deeper edging to help prevents clumps from spreading into unwanted areas. If you’re interested in seeing this plant firsthand, stop by The Gardens to see if bamboo is one that you would want to invite to your garden party.

 

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