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Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis' (Green Groove Bamboo) - A medium-sized wide-spreading running bamboo that grows to 18 to 26 feet tall with 1 to 1 1/2 inch wide culms that sometimes have a zig-zag crook near the base. The new shoots emerge in early spring and by late spring are to full height with lemon yellow culms that have nicely contrasting green stripes on alternate sided sulcus (the slight concave longitudinal groove on the culm) and reddish new leaf nodes and culm joints when grown in full sun. These culms mature to a greenish-yellow that still contrasts well with the darker green stripe. It is considered the reverse of the Yellow Groove Bamboo, aureosulcata.
Plant in full sun and irrigate regularly to occasionally. The American Bamboo Society lists this plant's cold hardiness to -10°F but some others claim to -15°F, both temperatures we cannot test for in Santa Barbara! This bamboo is a rapidly spreading plant but its rhizomes are noted at being fairly shallow so root barriers can effectively be used and digging of arrantly spreading growth can be relatively easily controlled during summer months.
Phyllostachys aureosulcata is native to the Zhejiang Province of China. The name for the genus means "leaf spike" and is in reference to the inflorescences. The specific epithet is from the Latin words 'aureus' meaning "golden-yellow", 'sulcus' meaning "furrow" and "-ata" meaning "possessing" that apply describes the grooved green culms streaked with yellow. The cultivar name means "notable", "admirable" or "spectacular". We received our stock of this plant in 1997 from the Banana man of La Conchita, Doug Richardson and we grew it from 2009 until 2013.
The information about Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis' that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
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