"downhill" wrote in message
...
JimR wrote:
wrote in message
ster.com...
[snip]
Incidentally, I'd love to grow the giant bamboo. I've only seen it
growing in warm-to-hot climates and I'm wondering if it would
survive my downstate NY winters. Other bamboos do okay, though. Any
thoughts?

Nemo

You are not in a good area to get large diameter bamboo for crafts.
Just too cold, you might get micro climates to get some growth but it will
not be consistent. Found most of the bamboo north of westchester is
sheltered by hardwoods and will not reach published sizes. A bamboo from a
division should mature in 7 to 10 years if it will be happy in its new
location.

Ph vivax 4 to 5 inches over 40 feet
ph robert young 3 to 4 inches 30 plus feet
ph rubomarginata 2 to 3 inches 30 feet-- good for crafts
ph nigra 1.5 and 25 feet
ph aurosulcata variants 2 inches 30 feet--- not good for crafts ---
distributed through government farm programs for research and promotion

north shore of LI

Thanks for the info.

I have taken a second look at my various bamboo plots and I have
discovered that in addition to phyllostachis aureosulcata I have
also some (not much) phyllostachis vivax (walls are much thicker,
some yellow stripes on the culms and no grooves).

I do not know how this came about, whoever gave me my original
specimens must have included the two varieties.

My vivax and aureosulcata are doing reasonnable OK considering the
area (Putnam County, NY), my largest culms are about 32 mm in
diameter now (one and a quarter inch) and increasing a little each year.

There is a high mortality among the young shoots in the spring (about
1/3 abort)

I think that 2 inches in diameter is the most that I can expect and maybe
30-35 ft high considering the area.