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Genus Bambusa: Paragon of bamboo
If you walk into a bamboo nursery or a botanical garden and see a specimen labeled Bambusa multiplex, and another identified as Bambusa oldhamii, you might deduce that Bambusa is the genus that includes all species of bamboo. But in fact, it's one of about 100 bamboo...
6 Common Mistakes with Bamboo: Where people get it wrong
Bamboo is one of the most remarkable living things on earth. But it's got a bad rep in some circles. It seems that many gardeners fear bamboo's tenacious growth habit. Where some find a blessing, others sense a menace. Bamboo, in its thousands of incarnations, has a...
Bambusa textilis: Weaver’s Bamboo and Graceful Bamboo
The more you read and learn about bamboo, the harder it gets to choose your favorite species. With more than 1,500 varieties to consider, the selection can be truly daunting. But certain types of bamboo really stand out. Bambusa textilis is one of the most popular...
Clumping bamboo for cold climates: Ornamental options
So you'd like to plant some bamboo in your garden. It's fast-growing, with an exotic flair, and it can add a great deal of ornamental elegance to your ordinary greenery. But there are two things you might be worried about. First, you get snow in the winter, and you...
Buddha Belly Bamboo: Bambusa ventricosa and others
A fast-growing clumper with an unmistakable profile, Buddha Belly stands out as one of the most popular bamboo varieties for ornamental cultivation. Bulging, swollen internodes evoke the chubby belly of the Laughing Buddha, making this distinct species a well-known...
Plants that look like bamboo (but aren’t)
The world of bamboo is rich and diverse. With about 1,500 varieties to keep track of, it's easy to get lost. Some bamboos stretch over 100 feet high, taller than most trees. Other dwarf species only grow up to a few inches. But with the general similarities common to...