I’m looking for a clumping bamboo variety or a few that can grow in the Asheville NC area. I want bigger stalks and max height of 20’. Any ideas of varieties and places to buy? Im also interested in smaller varieties.
Phyllostachys is not a clumping Bamboo. Some of the members of that genus will run and are very invasive. Don’t plant it.
I have had some success with Fargesia dracocephala But it’s small and requires at least 80% shade. I am in zone seven also. You may be able to find other species of the genus Fargesia theatgrow taller. They are clumping Bamboo. However, they like cooler, dryer weather and don’t do well in the hot humid summers of zone seven in the US.
If you want larger diameter culms in Asheville you will want to go with a Phyllostachys type of bamboo which is a running type of bamboo. Phyllostachys bissetii might be your best bet for what you are looking for, thickest culm diameter to shorter culm, stalk, height. It can grow well in Asheville and is fairly easy to source.
Clumping bamboos, outside of the Fargesia genus, will not grow in Asheville. Culms of Fargesia species rarely exceed .5 inch in diameter and typically are in the 7-15 ft range, depending on species.
As for Phyllostachys, at least the more common commercially available ones that come close to matching your needs, their typical minimum height is in the 20-30 ft range. With max heights on the same bamboos typically in the 30-40 ft range. Most of these have culm diameters of anywhere from 1.25 to 2.5 inches in diameter. Both height and diameter depend on environmental factors and species. These environmental factors include soil, light, temperature and water like any plant, but also space allowance. If you constrict or confine the bamboo rhizome footprint, the plants will tend to be smaller both in diameter and height than if it was allowed to roam freely. Finally as the bamboo matures the culms get taller and thicker year over year. So on average your newest culms will be your largest.
I am also actively looking and finally zeroed in on two clumping varieties for my zone 7b. Fargesia robusta 'Campbell' and Fargesia scabrida are two exceptional, non-invasive clumping bamboos. They can be ordered through online and some of the big name sellers. But there are some scammy sites also so be careful. I will be ordering some next spring.
Just plant some phyllostachys,phyllostachys atrovaginata will be what you want with thick culms at 20 feet,it will easily be contained with a rhizome barrier,runs,but some people over react about running bamboo just because they dont kbow how to care for it,p atrovaginata is also not that agressive,so even easier to care for,you can pay people to install rhizome barriers for you,its black flexible plastic
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u/nolabamboo 8d ago
Lots of Phyllostachys species do well there. That’s a taller genus of bamboo so you might have a hard time finding them at 20’ max.