Cold-hardiness test

Plant collector purchased a group of plants from us and planted them at his home in Northern Michigan, 80 miles from the Canadian border and 6 miles from Lake Superior in 1990.  He never mulched the plants, the foliage never died to the ground and they tolerated prolonged temperatures below -10 to -20 degrees F.  with a maximum low of -28 degrees.  His spring usually doesn't start until May or June and the bamboo usually didn't start growing until August.  He had one aurea that reached 4' high with a 3' spread.  Only a few of his bamboos survived.  Photos taken of remaining plants in 2005.

February    August    November - Phyllostachys aurea (Golden bamboo)

  Phyllostachys nuda          Sasa palmata