[RP TownTalk] Native bamboo

Thu May 8 13:35:12 UTC 2008

Here is some info on some native bamboo:

  Arundinaria gigantea and tecta are larval hostplants for several very local species of southern butterflies, so I have spent many years tracking down the stations for this plant genus all over the Coastal Plains of Maryland and Delaware.  Although common in southern Virginia, Arundinaria is very rare in our area, and probably because of this, none of the rare leps have ever showed up here.  Small accumulations of "perhaps" indigenous Arundinaria have been found, and may still occur, in the following Maryland counties west of the Chesapeake: Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, and Charles.  On the Delmarva, one accumulation spot is known in Dorchester Co., and one site has been recorded in Northhampton Co., VA.  There are currently no known sites in Delaware.  Much of this has been documented in a paper by Donnell Redman appearing in Maryland Naturalist around 8-10 years ago.  The largest known concentration in Maryland is in the woodland behind Miami Beach Park in
 Baltimore Co.  I say "perhaps" indigenous above because most of the sites in Maryland for Arundinaria occur near old mill ruins for which I suspect the cane, with its well-known substantial and close-knit root system, was probably used in the 19'th century to stabilize the soil along millraces.  (Invasive Eurasian Phragmites could also perform this function, but it was rare and mostly unknown in the U.S. during this period.)  Since Arundinaria is so rare in Maryland, but common in the South, the old millrace concentrations of it may actually represent introductions of it from the South by knowledgeable millers.  We'll never know for sure.  Although Maryland has had colder temperatures than areas where Arundinaria is more common, it seems to persist in Maryland quite well, but does not spread nearly as quickly as Phragmites or tropical bamboos. 

    Dick Smith

    Maryland Entomological Society

Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland <twacks at his.com> wrote: The bamboo we removed from our yard sends aggressive runners out many  
yards from the stand where it is located.  Depending on the variety  
of bamboo, the runners have been known to push their way through  
concrete foundations that are less than 4 inches thick.

For this reason I would NOT risk planting bamboo near my house.

Bamboo is not a native plant and it can be aggressive and difficult  
to control. If you plant bamboo and don't actively control it, you  
run the risk of creating a monster. (Think of the kudzu vine that is  
taking over the southern United States. Bamboo has this same  
potential.) I would prefer a world where people were careful about  
planting such an aggressive non-native species in their yard. The  
legacy you leave for the future might involve a monoculture of bamboo  
with no room for trees, other shrubs, or any other plants.

There are forms of bamboo that do not have this aggressive quality. I  
have no idea what those varieties are, or how to identify them.

People should be aware of the potential repercussions when they  
choose to plant bamboo.

-Sarah

On May 7, 2008, at 3:25 PM, Roland Walker wrote:

> Of course this type grows too high for that -- but I also have some
> very cool bamboo ground cover which stays well below knee height.  I
> wonder if that wouldn't soak up water very well, too.
>
> The ground cover might be this stuff
>
>    http://www.bamboogarden.com/Pleioblastus%20pygmaeus.html
>
> Bamboo roots stay extremely shallow, which is one reason why it is not
> really so difficult to control as I have heard.  Shallow roots might
> be good around a foundation.
>
> "Soaking up water" should occur primarily through transpiration, which
> would be limited in principle by the total surface area of the leaves.
>  Secondarily on growth and fruiting.  The ground cover does provide a
> lot of leaf.
>
> I also have Heavenly Bamboo for my hedge, but that isn't actually
> bamboo, despite the name.  Still, the little theme is cool.
>
> R
>
> PS Someone took the runners.
>
> On Wed, May 7, 2008 at 2:58 PM, Nancy Augustine  
>  wrote:
>> Soaks up water, huh? Wonder if it would make a good foundation  
>> planting, to keep the water from seeping into the basement. Has  
>> anybody ever tried that?
>>
>>  =====================
>>  From: JayRite at aol.com
>>  Date: 2008/05/06 Tue PM 07:57:42 CDT
>>  To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
>>  Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] free bamboo runners
>>
>>  Roland you are absoluty nuts! LOL Don't do it!!!Anyone!!!! :-)  
>> Jay  In a message dated 5/6/2008 3:45:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
>> walker at pobox.com writes:Many   people hate bamboo, but I love it.   
>> I'm certain this is the   most
>>
>> controversial thing I have ever said on TownTalk.
>>
>>  My bamboo   makes a nice privacy curtain in the back yard and it  
>> really
>>  soaks up water   when the ground gets saturated, which is often.
>>
>>  If anyone wants some   runners, I have several feet worth.
>>
>>  R
>>
>>
>>
>> Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family  
>> favorites at AOL Food.
>>
>>
>>
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