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Otatea acuminata aztecorum 'Chica' (Dwarf Mexican Weeping Bamboo) - A dwarf form of the Mexican Weeping Bamboo, Otatea acuminata, which is a gracefully arching clump-forming bamboo that can reach a maximum height of 20 feet - this dwarf selection is listed on the American Bamboo Society Website with ½ inch culms growing 4 feet tall with a question mark, so we are really not sure how tall these will get but it is certainly MUCH smaller than the species.
As with the full-sized variety this one likely will be somewhat drought tolerant once established, at least in coastal gardens, but would look better with regular to occasional irrigation. Like the species it also should prove hardy to 22 F and even lower for short durations (our Otatea acuminata aztecorum took 18° F in 1990 freeze without damage).
Otatea acuminata aztecorum is native to Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarut, Jalisco, Michoácan and Guerrero provinces of Mexico and was introduced into the U.S. from central western Mexico around 1958 by the L.A. Arboretum. San Diego plantsman, the late Bill Teague, received a division of it from the Arboretum in 1966 and began propagating it and then distributing it to fellow collectors and nurserymen throughout southern California. We first began growing this full sized species in 1982 and these plants flowered in the early 1990's, producing viable seed that produced the plants that were in cultivation from then until around 2020 when the next generation started flowering. Presumably one of these seedlings from the 1990 was this dwarf selection. We first received our stock on this plant in 2007 from Ralph Evan at Bamboo Headquarters who noted that he had purchased the plant at an American Bamboo Society Auction in 2001 or 2002. We thank Ralph also for the picture on our website that shows this selection 5 years after planting. We discontinued growing this plant in 2014 but have selected our own dwarf forms from the next round of seedlings after the 2020 flowering event. See our listing of Otatea acuminata for more information about the flowering cycle of this plant.
This information about Otatea aztecorum 'Chica' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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