Bambusa beecheyana
Beechey Bamboo (Southeast China)
A gracefully arching large clump forming bamboo to 30'-50' feet tall with 5 inch thick culms that first emerge an apricot color and are later covered with white powder. Good for an accent plant in tropical and oriental gardens. Plant in full sun. Hardy to 15 degrees F. Flowering reported in Florida in June 1994.

Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' (B. glaucescens ‘Alphonse Karr’)
Alphonse Karr Bamboo (China)
A dense, clumping bamboo that grows to 25-35 feet with stems that are 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. Branches at culm nodes from base to the top. Canes and branches are striped green on yellow. New canes have a pink cast. One of the best screen or hedge bamboo. Plant in full sun to light shade. Hardy to 12 degrees F. Flowering reported in Seattle in 1992 and in England in 1994.

Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess' (B. glaucescens 'Golden Goddess')
Golden Goddess Bamboo (China)
A dense, graceful clumping bamboo 6-10 feet tall with 1/2 inch thick arching canes. Plant in full sun to light shade. Hardy to 12 degrees F. Makes a good container plant as well as for screening.

Bambusa multiplex 'Rivierorum' (B. glaucescens 'Rivierorum')
Chinese Goddess Bamboo (China)
Fern-like clumping dwarf bamboo with delicate arching solid culms ¼-½" wide and reaching 6-8 feet in height. Culms are cloaked with 12-23 small (1¼ to 1½ inches long)leaves in neat ranks. Easily confused with the larger fernleaf which does not have solid culms. Best in full sun or light shade. A great container plant.

Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe' (B. glaucescens 'Silverstripe’)
Silverstripe Bamboo (China)
A vigorously clump forming bamboo to 45 feet tall with 1 1/2 inch thick canes. The leaves have white stripes and some white striping occurs on the canes. Plant in full sun to light shade. Hardy to 12 degrees F. An excellent choice for quick screening. Not currently in cultivation at San Marcos Growers

Bambusa oldhamii
Giant Timber Bamboo (Southern China, Formosa)
A densely foliated, clumping bamboo to 55 feet under optimum growing conditions. Culms can have a diameter up to 4 inches and are straight and erect. Slow growing until established. Plant in full sun. Hardy to 15 degrees F. Makes an excellent large screen. The most common giant tropical bamboo in cultivation. Flowering reported in La Jolla, CA in 1991 and 1993 and in Encinitas, CA in 1995 - noted that these flowering incidents could have been stress induced.

Bambusa textilis
Weaver's Bamboo (China)
An extremely handsome bamboo from China that arches gracefully at the tops of its 30-40 feet tall to 2 inches wide culms. The thin walled culms is is used for weaving. Hardy to 13 degrees F. Plant in full sun.

Bambusa ventricosa
Buddha's Belly Bamboo (Southern China)
A clumping bamboo whose height depends on soil quality. In poor, dry soil or otherwise confined conditions it will stay small, to 6 feet and will have swollen nodes and bent culms that make the stems have a rounded belly look, in a way resembling the form of Buddha. In optimum growing conditions the swelling and bend are less pronounced and the tall arching culms can obtain a height up to 30 feet with a diameter of up to 2 inches. Plant in full sun to light shade. Hardy to 20 degrees F. Makes a great container plant or screening bamboo.Not currently in cultivation at San Marcos Growers

Bambusa vulgaris 'Vitata'
Painted Bamboo(Southern China)
A large tender clumping bamboo with a maximum height of 50 feet under optimum conditions. Large arching golden yellow culms have green vertical stripes that look like drip marks. Branches are often striped as well. Culms are hardy to 27 degrees F although our plant in the garden has resprouted after suffering a 18 F night.

Chusquea coronalis
Climbing Bamboo (Guatemala, Costa Rica)
Probably the most beautiful bamboo. This slow-growing clump forming bamboo has gracefully arching culms to 15 feet tall and 3/4 inch in diameter. Very fine whorls of tiny leaves at the culm nodes and the tendency of culms to arch back to the ground creates a fluffy, soft appearance. Protect from frosts and extreme heat or reflected sun. Hardy to 28 degrees F. A wonderful specimen for containers, especially around a pond or water feature. At Lotusland this plant has been staked to create an interesting "headed" tree look. Flowered in Southern California gardens 1993-1995. All of our plants are seedlings of this flowering.

Chusquea culeou
The most frost hardy bamboo from the mountains of Chile grows to a height of about 15'. Forming a dense clump of arching 1 1/2" canes. Numerous short branches 18-30" long circle 2/3 of every node, giving the culms the appearance of a bottle brush. Moderate water, although is reported to be somewhat drought tolerant when established. Called an "open clumper" by the American Bamboo Society. Our plants from UC Berkeley.Not currently in cultivation at San Marcos Growers

Drepanostachyum - See Himalayacalamus

Fargesia nitida [Sinarundinaria nitida]
Fountain Bamboo (Himalayas)
An open, graceful and narrow clumping bamboo that can attain a maximum height of 20 feet. The canes, which can grow to 3/4 inch in diameter, arch and bend downwards at the top. The canes new growth is a greenish purple that matures to a deep purplish black with a white powdery coating. Plant in a light shade. Hardy to 0 degrees F. Flowering occurred in 1886 in central China and in 1993 in England.

Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’
Shiro-shima-inyo (Japan)
Slender stemmed running 10-15 feet tall bamboo with boldly variegated green and creamy white leaves 6-10 inches long by up to 1 ¼ inches wide. The growth tips and young leaves are tinged purple and there are long hairs on leaf sheaths. The variegation persist throughout the year. Prefers part shade and warm, or even tropical climate. This variegated form appeared in 1977 as a variant of Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'Kemmei' 3 years after flowering. The genus is thought to be a naturally occurring intergeneric hybrid between Phyllostahys and Sasa from Honshu, Japan. It has inherited the 2 branches per node of Phyllostachys and the large leaves of a Sasa. Hardy to -13° F

Himalayacalamus hookerianus [Drepanostachyum falcatum, Chimnobambusa falcata]
Blue Bamboo (India)
An attractive clump forming upright growing bamboo to 20 ft. tall with 6 inch long dark green leaves. The newly emerging culms are a glaucus blue which is retained at the base. Hardy to 15 degrees F. Great for a specimen planting or for large containers. Most clones of this bamboo have been flowering continuously through the 1990's. Our plants are grown from seed collected by Lew Abe of Abe Nursery in 1993. Appears to be especially attractive to gophers so wire basket protection is advised. May not be suitable to warmer climates.

Himalayacalamus falconeri 'Damarapa' [Drepanostachyum hookerianum]
Candy-Stripe Bamboo(Nepal,India)
A newly erected genus of clump-forming bamboos of the lower altitudes of the Himalayan mountains. A beautiful Himalayan bamboo with masses of leaves borne on long, slender branchlets. Culms to 30 feet tall by 2 inches wide are green, striped with yellow or lavender-pink. Plant in part sun. Hardy to 15 degrees F. Formerly listed as Drepanostachyum hookerianum.

Indocalamus tessellatus [Sasa tessellata]
Large Leaf Bamboo (China)
A slow-growing, running bamboo that can reach a maximum height of 6 feet and has the largest of all bamboo leaves, up to 2 foot long, along narrow ¼ inch diameter canes. Hardy to 0 degrees F. Best if planted out of direct hot sun; preferably in a shady location. A good bamboo for under trees to develop an understory; around the base of walls for screening or covering; or in containers on patios where shade is provided. Seems to flower regularly without detrimental results.Not currently in cultivation at San Marcos Growers

Otatea acuminata aztecorum
Mexican Weeping Bamboo (Mexico)
A gracefully arching clump bamboo that can reach a maximum height of 20 feet. The canes can grow to a diameter of 1 1/2 inches and are densely clothed with very thin, narrow and long (6 inches by 1/8 inch) light green leaves lending the plant a soft appearance. Somewhat drought tolerant once established. Hardy to 15 degrees F. Protect from hard frosts. A wonderful choice to use in riparian gardens; in oriental or tropical gardens; in containers; or near ponds or other water features. Flowering occurred in Encinitas in 1987 and later throughout California. Our plants were produced from seed from our own crops that flowered from 1989 to 1991.

Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Castillon'
Striped Running Timber Bamboo (China)
This beautiful running bamboo grows 35 feet tall w/ 2 inch wide golden culms that are vertically green banded on alternate culms in the sulcus, the groove above the branch bud. Like other Phyllostachys bambusoides the culms are often well spaced. Reportedly grows in a range of soils. Useful as a single specimen plant, in a grove or as a hedge. Plant in full Sun. Hardy to 5 F. It died due to flowering, but has reappeared.

Phyllostachys heterocyla pubescens [Phyllostachys pubescens]
Moso Bamboo
This is the largest of the hardy running bamboos reaching 75 feet tall with up to 7 inch+ culms. The young culms are covered with a velvety coat of soft hairs and mature to a dull blue-green. The leaves are dainty in contrast and are scatted in evenly structured branches with arching culm tips. Hardy to 0 degrees F. The most utilized bamboo in China today where it is grown for food, timber, and paper. Some report it is difficult to establish. (Sunset) but others say it is just slow to start off. The fresh shoots are considered a delicacy in Asia..

Phyllostachys nigra
Black Bamboo (China)
A slow-growing, running bamboo to 15 feet tall. Canes grow in green and turn black in their second year and when mature can reach a diameter of 1 1/2 inch. Hardy to 0 degrees F. Protect from hot direct summer sun inland and from reflected heat along the coast. A wonderful specimen plant for a container; in an oriental garden; or mixed with blade-leafed plants and grasses. Flowering occurred in 1935-1936 in Europe and the U.S. and more recently in 1990 in Saratoga, CA 1991 in Somis, CA, 1993 in China and in 1994 in Savannah, GA. We have one flowering plant in the nursery (initiated flowering in 1994) This plant was from a separate source from our main crop.

Phyllostachys vivax
Running Timber Bamboo (China)
This large running bamboo has shiny bright green canes. Resembles the more common Phyllostachys bambusoides except the culms have thinner walls and there is generally a white powdery band beneath each node. Grows to 70 feet tall with 5 inch diameter culms. Hardy to -5 degrees F. An aggressive runner that has been known to cross highways! Our plant from the Huntington Botanic Garden.

Pleioblastus pygmaeus [Sasa pygmaea]
Dwarf Bamboo(Japan)
A quick-growing, running small bamboo to a maximum height of 1 ½ feet. The canes are thin, growing to ⅛ inch diameter and densely clothed with tiny 1 inch long leaves that are hairy on the underside. Plant in full sun (along coast) to light shade. Hardy to 0 degrees F. Very invasive if not controlled, it is a good plant to hold slopes against erosion. Can periodically be mowed to rejuvenate the growth and appearance. Often confused with P. distichus 'Mini' which lacks the hairs on the underside of the leaf.

Pleioblastus variegatus
Dwarf Whitestripe Bamboo (Japan)
A small to medium sized, running bamboo that grows to a maximum height of 4 feet. Thin canes (3/8 inch wide) are densely clothed in narrow, 2 inch long striped white leaves. Hardy to 10 degrees F. Use along borders and walkways or mixed with other thin bladed plants and grasses. Good also near water gardens or in containers. Flowered in spring of 2001 in our garden.

Pleioblastus viridi-striatus [Arundinaria viridi-striata]
(Origin unknown) A quick-growing, running small bamboo that grows to a maximum height of 2 1/2 feet. The canes, which can grow to a diameter of 1/4 inch are covered with variegated green and gold leaves. Plant in partial shade in a contained area if spreading will be a problem. Hardy to 0 degrees F. Looks best if cut to the ground each winter or even several times a year to highlight the vivid yellow new growth. A good bamboo for borders and along walkways or as a foreground plant for taller shrubs.