*How
to Landscape with bamboo
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Phyllostachys aureaOther names: "Golden Bamboo," "Fish Pole Bamboo," Hotei-chiku (布袋竹) Statistics: Height: 15-30 feet Diameter: ¾ -2 inches Golden Bamboo has long been the bamboo of choice for landscapes, screens, and hedges in the United States. It has been popular for over 50 years and will continue to be important for many reasons. Its overall appearance is usually light green and dense. Golden Bamboo is a compact bamboo with relatively large culms and branches. Its leaves often begin just above the ground making it perfect for a solid wall. The culms are rigidly vertical and relatively short for a Phyllostachys, rarely growing over 20 feet tall. Golden Bamboo is seldom harmed by heavy rain, snow, or ice. The culms are green, but the bigger ones almost always are coated with a delicate waxy bluish powder when they drop their sheaths. This powder gives the bamboo a soft blue appearance for many months. The culms often have distorted internodes near their base keeping them short and thick and giving the bamboo an unusual and interesting appearance. Golden Bamboo's shoots are inconspicuous and tasty. Aurea can run vigorously, but seldom does. |
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The blue color of Phyllostachys aurea's new culms is often very impressive. Only a few other bamboos do this so vividly. The blue color is caused by a fine waxy coating on the larger and more distorted culms. |
New culms look softer and often more bluish while older culms are more yellow or brown. |
The distortions of the large culms gives aurea its fame. These culms are about 1 inch in diameter. |
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