BAMBUSA VULGARIS WAMIN
- 8' height, Full Sun, 32 degrees F Minimum,
Clumper.
-
- One of the weirdest,
rarest & most desired plants by
bamboo collectors. As a small young plant
it is not distinctive, but some culms on
mature plants bulge dramatically
between nodes. The
plant is tough & vigorous. It was one of the
3
bamboos that survived hurricane Andrew in 1992 at
Fairchild Gardens in South Miami. But Jean
Harrington
in St Pete had a 3' tall 1 year-old plant
that was hit with a 25 degree low in 1955 &
killed
to the ground. The bulges on the
canes may be affected by growing
conditions in a manner similar to Bambusa ventricosa.
A plant came into Quail Gardens in the
80's. Part of it was planted at Quail Gardens,
which is a moist warm climate near the ocean.
Part of it was planted at Gary Stinson's place
in Menifee, California which is a low desert climate
with dry air, not a lot of water & gets down
to freezing regularly every winter. The plant
at Quail was straight with no bulges in 1991. The
- first big cane to grow at Gary's house had
dramatic bulges, later canes were straight.
-
Apparently dramatic pruning is necessary to produce
a plant with many bulging canes. Around
1990 the Gideons in Southern Florida were
gathering & growing them for release at some unknown
point in the future, that point being forced
further into the future by hurricane Andrew in
1992. The Southern California
Branch of the American Bamboo
Society has a mother plant but their prices are
difficult to predict. A small plant sold at their
spring '91 sale for $200, in the fall they sold
another for $30 & at the spring 1994 sale a 15
gallon pot went for $85. A single culm 2' plant
in a 3 gallon pot sold for $60 at the September
'91 NWABS sale. Small plants are occasionally
available from backyard growers in Florida
for $100-200 each. A small plant sold for $50
at the '94 ABS auction in San Francisco. An 8"
pot was offered for $75 at the '95 SCABS fall sale
with no buyer found.
- BAMBUSA VULGARIS WAMIN STRIATA
Thin yellow stripes on the canes