Not looking good, or is it?
>> Thursday, December 4, 2014 –
bamboo,
foliage,
winter damage
Not too long ago I transplanted some bamboo into the bed next to the driveway in my front garden. This Pleioblastus viridistriatus will look fantastic in the spring, its fresh foliage bright and vibrant.
Right now though, it's not a pretty plant. A low temperature of 13ºF (-10ºC) a few weeks ago fried the unprotected foliage. Ugly, right?
Or is it?
It's certainly not as cold-hardy (and therefore fresh-looking) as it's neighbor, Sasaella masamuneana 'Albostriata':
And it's not as pretty as the arboreal bamboos in the garden, like Phyllostacys atrovaginata which is probably my favorite:
Even so, the freeze-damaged leaves of the Pleioblastus viridistriatus are quite nice in the garden, when seen in context:
It's not the vibrant yellow/chartreuse of early summer, but it's a nice contrast with the greens of the Phyllostachys...
...and blends in nicely with the rest of the garden grays and browns.
So ugly maybe, but possibly beautiful too.
Just wait another year or two...
.
Not looking too bad now but you know that it will look even better next summer. Something to look forward to!
It's nice now but time will make it even better!
Enjoy reading all about your fun times with all of your bamboo. I have my first bamboo, Phyllostachys nuda, in a pot now on the deck. It's doing okay so far over the winter (I'm in Maryland, zone 7a) and received my bamboo from a local - literally just around the corner - historic mansion. I asked, of course :)
I'm looking forward to purchasing more this coming spring to plant in planters on the deck and a few in the ground.
Let the war begin! (I'm actually looking forward to it :))
And another question (from Donald above) - I read in another post that one of your favorite bamboos is Phyllostachys atrovaginata - what do you like about it? I am thinking about growing it too. Thank you!
Donald: I like that the culms are nice and thick after only a few years, and that it just has a different look than other cold-hardy Phyllostachys. Very nice.