Evergreen bamboo for Massachusetts

[mactraveler]

I live in western Massachusetts and would like to plant evergreen bamboo on my property. I've never planted it before.(Hardiness zones 5-6, rather wet, decent sun). Would love suggestions on what kind to get and how to do it and any other advice. Thanks.

[Mark Meckes]

Hi,
An excellent publication which I always keep close at hand is by the American Bamboo Society:

Bamboo Species Source List

To order, send $3 ($2 for the Source List, $1 for postage and handling):

ABS Publications Office
750 Krumkill Road
Albany, NY 12203-5976

The publication, updated and reprinted annually, contains more than 400 bamboo species currently available in the USA, and includes a brief description, maximum potential height, culm diameter, minimum temperature, sun/shade, and sources for plants by ABS members.

I should note that bamboo grows quite differently under differing climatic conditions.
This is readily noticed in areas where temperatures annually dip below O F / -18 C, and in very hot and dry locations.

There are numerous species that are listed as hardy to -10 F / -23 C, and fewer that can withstand colder temperatures.
If they are top killed, provided they have adequate mulch and snow cover, they will sprout new shoots, though not as large in diameter.

Regarding evergreen bamboo, in my experience of growing bamboo in the Northeast mountains of Pennsylvania (zone 5), even the hardiest of bamboos would begin to suffer with leaf burn by mid winter, and in most but not all years they would look like this in spring, though some species would re-leaf.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/511/thumbs/1Phyllostachys_nuda_Easton_PA_USA-15.jpg Phyllostachys nuda (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=923) - after a very cold winter

Re: Wet soil ... Most bamboos don't like growing in soggy wet conditions.
One workaround is to plant in raised beds, so that the top soil has free drainage.

When I get time, I'll put together a list of all the bamboo species listed as being hardy to temperatures below 0 F /-18 C.

Mark