Bamboo in north TX

[mantis]

Sandy, I'm sorry to say, but your other two plants aren't AK either.

[Roy]

\

Roy, you can see much larger images on her web-site... Here is a link to big version of the pic you posted..

http://sannton.smugmug.com/gallery/3016 ... 60348-O-LB

Here is a link to her backyard http://sannton.smugmug.com/gallery/3016686 Pages 2 & 3 have pics of the boo.

Thanks Mantis. After seeing the larger image, doesn't it look perhaps like Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess"?

[mantis]

Thanks Mantis. After seeing the larger image, doesn't it look perhaps like Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess"?

Roy,

I definitely agree that it is a B. multiplex, but I just don't have much experience with varieties other than 'GG' and AK, so I didn't want to make a guess. But it can be narrowed down. Here is the full list of varieties...

Bambusa multiplex
Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Fernleaf Stripestem' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Fernleaf' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess'
Bambusa multiplex 'Goldstripe' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Midori Green' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Tiny Fern' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Willowy'

So that leaves B.multiplex, 'Golden Goddess', and 'Willowy', but I don't think it's 'Willowy'.

It does look like a 'Golden Goddess' that hasn't gotten a lot of sun, so the culms are still green. Also 'GG' is a pretty common boo in Texas. But like I said, I don't have any experience with most of the B. multi. varieties.

[sannton]

The straight one I think is the AK and I have two of that type. The one that is the lumpy one and unfortunately I have ten of that type.

[mantis]

The straight one I think is the AK and I have two of that type. The one that is the lumpy one and unfortunately I have ten of that type.

Sandy,

This is not B.m.'Alphonse Karr'.






It is more than likely B.m.'Golden Goddess'. It is still a nice boo (I have 3 of them in my yard), but it's just not what you paid for.

So instead of 12 B.m.'Alphonse Karr' plants it looks like you have 10 B.tuldoides 'Ventricosa' and 2 B.m.'Golden Goddess'.

[Roy]

Thanks Mantis. After seeing the larger image, doesn't it look perhaps like Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess"?

Roy,

I definitely agree that it is a B. multiplex, but I just don't have much experience with varieties other than 'GG' and AK, so I didn't want to make a guess. But it can be narrowed down. Here is the full list of varieties...

Bambusa multiplex
Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Fernleaf Stripestem' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Fernleaf' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess'
Bambusa multiplex 'Goldstripe' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Midori Green' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Tiny Fern' - No
Bambusa multiplex 'Willowy'

So that leaves B.multiplex, 'Golden Goddess', and 'Willowy', but I don't think it's 'Willowy'.

It does look like a 'Golden Goddess' that hasn't gotten a lot of sun, so the culms are still green. Also 'GG' is a pretty common boo in Texas. But like I said, I don't have any experience with most of the B. multi. varieties.

Mantis,

Your power of deductive reasoning is astounding! (':shock:')

I'm with you, unless someone proves us wrong, and then you are on your own!

[mantis]

Mantis,

Your power of deductive reasoning is astounding! (':shock:')

I'm with you, unless someone proves us wrong, and then you are on your own!

I think I'm going to start my own school: Mantis' school for B.S. I just need to think up a clever acronym.

[Mike McG]

Sandy,

I agree with the conclusion that it appears you only got two B. multiplex types and that the other ten appear to be Buddha's Belly. Growing conditions can affect certain attributes of bamboo but I am not totally sure that the two plants you have are necessarily B. m. 'Golden Goddess'. I think as others have indicated only time will tell.

My reason for saying this is that they do not look exactly like 'Golden Goddess to me in that my BmGG proportionally has much smaller leaves than some of the leaves in your pictures. Your plants remind me somewhat of the seedlings I have where the seeds came from BmAK. Also, I have seen a lot of B. multiplex plants that reverted to a more generic form and so these could have come from a BmAK division that mutated further or reverted.

I expect the Buddha's Belly will get significant winter damage every year but may possibly survive as a much shorter than normal plant, especially if it keeps its bellies. If I recall correctly, Kinder had a Buddha's Belly in the Temple TX area that survived but did not appear to gain much in size because of winter damage. I have had one in the ground here near Brenham TX since March 03 that typically sees a minimum low down around 18?F most winters with only a small amount of cosmetic leaf damage. This past winter it did have more damage than normal and the tips of the new culms were killed before leafing out. It did shoot late last year perhaps due to lack of adequate rain. The tips of this years shoots are already starting to leaf out so they may be able to handle this coming winter better. Good luck and keep us posted on what your seller/nursery has to say.

Mike near Brenham TX

[sannton]

Bummer. It is really irritating that the growers (or whatever they are called) who furnish two separate nurseries with bamboo don't know what they heck they are talking about. I guess they just think bamboo is bamboo and who will ever know? No wonder bamboo has such a bad rap. Or maybe they just have a warped sense of humor and thought to themselves won't this be funny when the bamboo gets 50' tall? At least these are both clumping bamboo, if we keep them.
I have never had this happen with a nursery before and will call them both tomorrow. We paid $60 each for the ten Buddha Bellies (a "wholesale" nursery) and $70 each for the Golden Goddess (at Calloways), all were 5 gal. We will probably ask for some sort of monetary compensation and just move the two GG to the end because they will be shorter. Does that make sense?
You all are great and I am so thankful for your help in identifying these plants.

[igrowbamboo]

Sandy
I feel your pain sister!
I don't like nobody messin' round
when I'm tryin' to get my boo on either!

when you do get your A.K, it should be planted
away from the fence a few feet or so.
good luck!

[Roy]

Sandy
..........snip........
when you do get your A.K, it should be planted
away from the fence a few feet or so.
good luck!

Sandy,

If you've got a picky neighbor, you might want to try this Tropical Bamboo Rhizome Control Barrier (TBRCB):

Discussed here:
http://bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?p=7044#7044

[Mike McG]

Bummer. It is really irritating that the growers (or whatever they are called) who furnish two separate nurseries with bamboo don't know what they heck they are talking about.

Sandy,
As Roy said earlier:

Sandy,
I'm sure a lot of people on this forum have bought bamboo under another name than what it actually was. ('')

and we all try to get our bamboo correctly identified. In some cases the bamboo is known but what is unknown is what to correctly call it.

In many cases the error in the name is an honest mistake in that the original plant was misidentified, acquired under an incorrect name, or perhaps reverted. In some cases it may be negligence in that perhaps the original tags were lost and then someone just guessed what it was without attempting to make sure because it was easier. And unfortunately I believe in some cases, especially with seeds and seedlings, it is fraudulent.

Hopefully the nursery will recognize that they, or more probably their supplier, were in error and make some sort of restitution.

Mike near Brenham TX

[sannton]

Well it has been a while but this is the rest of the saga on the Buddha Belly bamboo. I wrote the nursery manager a letter and received no reply. Today I emailed the him and he responded that I could return the ten Buddha Belly bamboo, when it is cooler, and get a refund. He says he talked to his supplier and they told him that AK looks different when young but he said not THAT different. It is really frustrating because it is about 100 here and who wants to dig up 10 bamboo and plant 10 more? Also, it is not a good time to plant here, too hot!
Anyway the other 2 bamboo we bought from another nursery (which is not AK either) is growing pretty fast. In about a month it seems to have grown about 4". I believe the consensus was that these two bamboo that are straight are Golden Goddess.
They are all thriving but the height of the BB and the cold tolerance is not good. We may keep the GG.