Best choice, zone 5
 

Previously, I wrote:

I'm in zone 4 (or maybe low end of 5), so there are only three
choices
for me. I don't want to have to worry about controlling a spreader.
That leaves the two hardiest Fargesias - murieliae and nitida -
http://www.americanbamboo.org/Specie...tml#FMurieliae

So. What are the relative merits of the two - in terms of beauty,
availability, speed of growth, edibility, usefulness, other?

Now re-examining the zone charts, I see I'm in 5, but that doesn't
appear to change my choices. Having googled some more, I still don't
know which would be better for my situation. I've come to realize
that both of these - maybe all Fargesias - tend to bend. Murielae is
described as "weeping", and nitida as "fountain". Can anyone tell me:
Of the two, which is more upright?

What I want them for is to create a hedge-like row (so I don't need to
install a fence) of about 25 feet between the back of the house and
the garage. They would get full sun for a couple of hours at
mid-day, bright indirect light the rest of the time. In June, July,
August and September, average highs here are 76, 81, 79 and 72, and
record highs are 101, 103, 103 and 98. Can either species tolerate
those conditions? How many plants would I need to buy (if either
would tolerate the conditions), and how much room should I allow,
front to back - ie, how big do the clumps get? I've looked and
looked, and this datum is never included in any of the tables.

Finally: I saw on one catalog site that the nitida is in flower right
now, so not available - I gather the plants die after flowering, and
one has to begin anew with seedlings? So if I could get nitida, it
would either be about to die or a very young seedling - is that
correct? In which case maybe murielae is my only choice anyhow,
unless I want to take a risk with a runner. I'm really leery of that
- I'm looking for low-maintenance choices, and the business of digging
the trench to install the barrier for those 25 feet sounds like far
too much work. If I were to rely on mowing, how far from the plant
would I have to be able to get at - my neighbor's fence is about 50
feet from where I'd be planting, could I be confident that, say, p.
nuda's roots would never reach that far, so I'd be able to be sure of
not inflicting?

Thanks!

Best choice, zone 5
 

I'm in z5 Chicago. F. nitida is more upright (murialae means, I think,
"fountain"). It clumps, so you'd need quite a few plants and a few years
for them to fill the gaps between them. They are also expensive, though
you'll find some inexpensive, perhaps, for trade on GardenWeb.com.

Phyllostachs will run like crazy and you WILL need a barrier of some sort.
Don't take the chance, even in this zone!

"Tegan" wrote in message
om...
Previously, I wrote:

I'm in zone 4 (or maybe low end of 5), so there are only three
choices
for me. I don't want to have to worry about controlling a spreader.
That leaves the two hardiest Fargesias - murieliae and nitida -

http://www.americanbamboo.org/Specie...ableF.html#FMu
rieliae

So. What are the relative merits of the two - in terms of beauty,
availability, speed of growth, edibility, usefulness, other?

Now re-examining the zone charts, I see I'm in 5, but that doesn't
appear to change my choices. Having googled some more, I still don't
know which would be better for my situation. I've come to realize
that both of these - maybe all Fargesias - tend to bend. Murielae is
described as "weeping", and nitida as "fountain". Can anyone tell me:
Of the two, which is more upright?

What I want them for is to create a hedge-like row (so I don't need to
install a fence) of about 25 feet between the back of the house and
the garage. They would get full sun for a couple of hours at
mid-day, bright indirect light the rest of the time. In June, July,
August and September, average highs here are 76, 81, 79 and 72, and
record highs are 101, 103, 103 and 98. Can either species tolerate
those conditions? How many plants would I need to buy (if either
would tolerate the conditions), and how much room should I allow,
front to back - ie, how big do the clumps get? I've looked and
looked, and this datum is never included in any of the tables.

Finally: I saw on one catalog site that the nitida is in flower right
now, so not available - I gather the plants die after flowering, and
one has to begin anew with seedlings? So if I could get nitida, it
would either be about to die or a very young seedling - is that
correct? In which case maybe murielae is my only choice anyhow,
unless I want to take a risk with a runner. I'm really leery of that
- I'm looking for low-maintenance choices, and the business of digging
the trench to install the barrier for those 25 feet sounds like far
too much work. If I were to rely on mowing, how far from the plant
would I have to be able to get at - my neighbor's fence is about 50
feet from where I'd be planting, could I be confident that, say, p.
nuda's roots would never reach that far, so I'd be able to be sure of
not inflicting?

Thanks!