BAMBUSA MALINGENSIS

 

20' height, Full Sun, 20 degrees F Minimum, Clumper.

 

        Upright plant with a tight cluster of lots of 2-3" diameter green culms & small (2" x 1/2" green leaves).  Looks sort of like an Oldhamii with  smaller culms & much smaller leaves. 

 

        Around 1990 someone asked Oceanside, California bamboo nurseryman  Richard Neufeld what bamboo he had that grew well near the ocean.  He had a lot of malingensis for sale at the time so he answered 'Bambusa malingensis'.  Thus was born a fantasy which is now often repeated - 'malingensis grows well near the ocean.'   However, just because this rather non-descript plant did well in Oceanside for Richard Neufeld doesn't mean it does any better than any other warm climate bamboo near the ocean.

 

        5 gallon cans were offered by the Southern California Bamboo Society from cuttings made at Quail gardens in 1990 & 1991 for $30 each.  At the Sept 91 N.W.ABS sale a 6 culm 4' high 10 gallon pot sold for $50.