Different Types of Bamboo Plant
Bamboo is an architectural plant perfect for adding structure, height and movement to your garden. Bamboo is a great "Green Solution", and is a wonderful replacement plants for trees with its short growth cycle and a high carbon dioxide exchange rate. Bamboo is a grass with 80 genera and over 1200 documented species. There are two basic categories of bamboo plants commonly used in home landscapes: clumping bamboo and running bamboo, which are defined by their rooting (rhizome) characteristics.
Clumping Bamboo
Clumping bamboo spread very slowly.
Clumping bamboos have a very short root structure, are genetically incapable of expanding more than few inches a year, and will generally form discrete circular clumps. Clumpers are a popular ornamental variety since they are not an invasive species and stay within their respective territory. The underground stems of the clumpers are known as rhizomes and are pretty different for other non-clumping bamboos or timber types. Clumping bamboos grow out making a “U” shape instead of spreading out horizontally.
There are many different types of clumping bamboo species and they all vary in clump size, height, color and thickness of culm. For example some species form a clump of one meter round in diameter so are great for narrow screening, as opposed to some larger or loose species that can form up to a 4m diameter footprint - making it essential you get the right advice in selecting the most suitable bamboo for your needs!
Here below are some common clumping bamboo varieties:
Fargesia rufa – Sunset Glow Bamboo
Fargesia nitida – Fountain Bamboo
Fargesia murielae – Umbrella Bamboo
Borinda angustissima
Borinda boliana
Thamnocalamus crassinodus
Running Bamboo
Running bamboo spread at moderate to fast paces.
Running bamboo has a distinctively vigorous rhizome root system, which spread like crazy if not kept in check. The monopodium or leptomorph rhizomes tend to grow horizontally, parallel to the ground, spreading outward and overtaking an area. As the horizontal rhizomes extend outward, they eventually produce fresh shoots, new culms, growing upward. Sometimes, but not always, these monopodium bamboos can spread very aggressively. They can definitely become invasive. They can tear up your lawn, crawl under fences, and become very difficult to remove.
Running bamboo can produce amazing groves, forests or when kept in pots be great screening plants. They are also very popular in cities where a lot of garden beds are already concreted around due to the buildings and roads, which forms a root barrier for them. Running bamboo are particularly useful in narrow spaces where you need extra height!
Here below are some common running bamboo varieties:
Phyllostachys vivax – Timber Bamboo
Phyllostachys edulis ‘Moso’ – Moso bamboo
Phyllostachys aurea – Golden Bamboo
Phyllostachys nigra – Black Bamboo
Semiarundinaria fastousa – Temple Bamboo
Moso Bamboo
Moso bamboo, also called Mao bamboo or Phyllostachys edulis, is a running timber bamboo from southern China. Its domineering stature and rapid growth habit make this a fun variety, especially for those with plenty of space to spread out, and who aren’t intimidated by an aggressive running bamboo. Moreover, Moso bamboo is the most widely grown bamboo for commercial purposes. Moso is the raw material for all bamboo decking/flooring, bamboo clothing and a wide range of crafts and construction products.
Bamboo is a fast growing evergreen plant that provides architectural interest and texture to any garden. And hopefully the above information will help you identify and use the different types of bamboos for all the kinds of purposes that each is suited for!