Fargesia robusta?

[electrum!]

Excuse me if there is already a thread on this, I looked first before posting, didn't see one...

Anyway, question: What is the experience of any and all who have grown Fargesia robusta? I'm interested in any of the various cultural aspects. Cold hardiness (the perennial question!). Size. Speed of growth. Exposures, sun or shade (and tell WHERE you grow in sun or shade).

Thanks in advance for any and all inputs. Cordially, electrum

[bambooweb]

Mine has been in the ground for two winters. Last winter it looked good after the week of temps near 0*F in early December. But after the three days near zero with strong winds in early March, the tops of the culms died.

It is now a shrub about 8 inches tall.

It is in afternoon shade and was mulched heavily in the winter with straw.

Bill

[CadyG]

I put it in for a client three years ago, in zone 6b on the coast of Massachusetts. The plants are full, dense and lush, but the new shoots this season don't seem to be any taller than they were last year or the year before. The plant seems to have topped out for now at 6' despite a growth potential of 18'. My client is waiting for the tall shoots, as she'd hoped to screen a neighbor's deck overlooking her garden.

We had a mild winter this past winter, with no sub-0 temps (coldest locally was around +6F) and the 'boo is in a sheltered area, so we're wondering why we're not getting any taller shoots!

Where you are, you will want to put 6" of straw, pine needle or bark mulch down in the fall, and plant in a sheltered area. F. robusta is top hardy to -5F, but cold dry winds can kill culms at higher temperatures.

[BooKing]

Mine is know over 12feet high and 5feet wide. It suffers some leaf damage here at a few degrees. I usually burlap it in winter and it's fine come spring. I am really zone 6a/b in the Northeast. It also is sheltered near the house. The oldest plant is 7yrs old.

[tstoehr]

Mine is coming along fine after two years from a one-gallon transplant. It's 8 feet tall with about 12 culms. It would have more but I like to thin them out to keep it more open looking. It seems to be thriving nicely. It sits between my house and a 9-foot arborvitae hedge and so gets mid-day sun for a couple hours and shade in the afternoon.
On my last visit to the Bamboo Gardens, during our tour of the gardens, the guy who runs the place pointed out at length that their F. Robustas seem to thrive in full sun *or* full shade. He showed us quite a large specimen growing in full sun.

[electrum!]

Okay, thanks ya'll. This morning I planted the Fargesia robusta in question. It is in shade all day, now, shade provided by deciduous trees (Betula papyrifera); will be in dappled sun in winter. Very protected from winds by evergreens to the west and house to the east. It is sited at mid-slope so colder air should pass it by on the way to the lower elevation. I'll report next year after the winter.

[rfgpitt]

electrum!,
I received a nice division from booking last year. Same thing that bambooweb described happened to mine. Dead except for a few leaves that were buried in snow. It's just now putting up a few 10" shoots. This past winter was also one of the warmest as of late.

[electrum!]

Hi Ricky, you have quite a list! Thanks for the info on robusta, bad news but helpful to know! Well if it don't work I'll send it to the Big Compost Heap. e!

[rfgpitt]

Hi Ricky, you have quite a list!

though my mother was the only one who still called me Ricky.....

Hope it does well for you.

[electrum!]

Oh there's still a few of us that know you by that affectionate nickname.

[Bamboo Chuck]

'robusta' does not like the Florida heat....Surprise, surprise!

[Roy]

'robusta' does not like the Florida heat....Surprise, surprise!

I just wonder if anyone has tried any of the "mountain" bamboos on the big island of Hawaii? I know they get snow there, so perhaps the mountain bamboos would work on the big island.