Dean W.'s Bamboo Collection

[Dean W.]

Hello All,

I began collecting bamboo in the mid-80s; here is a list of what I have now.

1.) Bambusa multiplex "Alphonse Karr' : September 2007 : in pot

2.) Bambusa multiplex ‘Tiny Fern Striped’ : August 2007: in ground

3.) Bambusa oldhamii : April 2007 : in ground

4.) Bambusa ventricosa 'Holochrysa Kimmei' : September 2007 : in pot

5.) Chimonobambusa quadrangularis : September 2007 : in pot

6.) Phyllostachys aurea : mid 80’s : groves and two in pots: obtained from wild roadside digs
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurDWDTX070416-6950.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=503&ppuser=2282)

7.) Phyllostachys meyeri : mid 80’s : grove and one in 10-gallon pot: bought a one gallon container of it
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/565/thumbs/PmeyDWDTX070416-6948.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=565&ppuser=2282)



11.) Semiarundinaria fastuosa : April 2007 : in 25-gallon pot

12.) Shibataea chinensis : August 2007 : in pot


Dean

[ShmuBamboo]

OK, here is a question. How does your Meyer compare to your Golden??? Growth, culm color, habit, size, shape? Just wondering...

[Dean W.]

ShmuBamboo,

The groves of Meyer and Golden I have look similar. Mark helped me identify the both of them. Keep in mind they both grow in rocky clayish soil with no supplemental watering. The Meyer is noticeably shorter [in this case] than the Golden and tends to lean outwards. It almost seem that it zigzags when it spreads. The Golden has the distictinct-compressed internodes with similar culm color as the Meyer.

Dean

[Mark Meckes]

(Links added to Dean's P. meyeri and P. aurea pics in post#1)

Yep, 'boo curiosity takes me to many places, and I got to see a part of Texas (Buda region) I hadn't been to before when I visited your bamboo Dean.
Though I was expecting to see a large grove (2 decades since planting), it was truly a situation where environmental/growing conditions can really affect the size and stature of a grove.

Nonetheless, big doesn't always equal better, in fact I wish part of my grove stayed knarly like yours. Half inch > 1 inch diameter bamboo comes in handy for many garden fences/trellis applications.

I was fortunate to visit the bamboo while the shoots were on the rise so I was able to confirm ID of P. meyeri by the sheaths.
The main difference between P. aurea is that P. meyeri has a more extended sheath ligule:
Phyllostachys meyeri
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/565/thumbs/PmeyDWDTX070416-6930.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3977&cat=565&ppuser=2282) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/565/thumbs/PmeyDWDTX070416-6931.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3976&cat=565&ppuser=2282)

Red tinge from sun exposure.
The sheath ligule is not so long/as pronounced with larger/ mature 1/2"+ (4cm+) size culms

A first when I saw the angle of some of the meyeri culms, I thought ... Is this Phyllostachys flexuosa? (which is known for doing this with juvenile culms).
But P. flexuosa flowered in the mid 1990's onwards, (some groves are still finally finishing flowering) and there would have been evidence of lots of dead culms.
Here is a Phyllostachys flexuosa sheath ligule: (not the best pic)
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/603/thumbs/Pflex040405BhTX-208.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2538)
P. flexuosa ligule is more chisel shaped and has longer fringes atop the ligule, in addition to being a deeper maroon color when fresh.

P. aurea is planted in two main places ...
Here it is amongst some trees etc. where it has grown larger:
Phyllostachys aurea
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurDWDTX070416-6952.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3974&cat=503&ppuser=2282)

Here it is growing in an open field next to P. meyeri
Phyllostachys aurea
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurDWDTX070416-6950.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3967&cat=503&ppuser=2282)

Here is the ...
Phyllostachys meyeri
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/565/thumbs/PmeyDWDTX070416-6948.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3985&cat=565&ppuser=2282)

The Meyer is noticeably shorter [in this case] than the Golden

Meyeri is shorter on the outside of the planting but it is very tough growing conditions.
In other parts I'm not sure whether there is much difference in height.

The Meyeri and aurea plantings have merged, and I found Meyeri culms interspersed throughout the aurea and vice-versa.
In the last pic (above), when viewing large image, new shoots can be seen rising above older culms.
We have had exceptionally abundant amounts of rain this year and many groves in central Texas have stepped up a notch in height. :)

Mark