A plant that always draws the interest of garden visitors is our ever-expanding collection of non-running bamboos. One that I get to admire daily from my second floor office window is the Chinese (Sichuan) native, Fargesia robusta. Bamboo taxonomy is at best difficult, since most species only flower once every 100 years. Consequently, Fargesia robusta wasn’t even named until 1985. Our specimen below is now 25 years old, topping out at 8′ in height. The base of the clump is 3′ wide, with the stalks arching out wider at the top. For us, they fare best in areas that receive 4-8 hours of full sun. Winter hardiness is Zone 7a-8b, at least.
Are the culms tasty?
I have not had a desire to consume bamboos, although I’m sure they must have great fiber content. Hopefully, others will chime in.
Well…there is reported to occur a Fargesia Bamboo on the top op Vietnam’s tall Mount Fansipan : I wonder “how well-behaved it is”,- but at least it is only reported to grow to about one meter… and then the local Lithocarpus phansipanense is apparently equally small, up there…!
That’s exciting. I have been to Fansipan, but didn’t make it to the top. I’ll pass this along to our friends, who visit more regularly. Both oaks and bamboos cannot be directly imported into the US, however. They must first be accepted into the USDA 2-year quarantine program, so that’s another hoop to jump through.
Well,- and…then I just happened to note that the ‘inaturalist.org’ system has recently recorded the occurrence of a (most likely) Sp. Nov. of the delectable, small Composites, called SINOSECECIO, over at a small neighboring peak to the NW of Fansipan, itself. And where a ‘naturalist’, called ‘alpineflora’ on September, 30’th, posted a photo of this plant via the ‘inaturalist.org’-system.
And then the Genus Sinosenecio is evidently split into “a weedy,tall-growing Sect. Sinosenecio”, which has little to offer, horticulturally speaking,- and then this amazing ‘Sect. Oldhamianus’, with all these small, jewel-like spp. found locally on low mountain-tops around the whole China…with more spp. to find, the more the botanists look, it would seem – !
And where there apparently have been a small botanist battle going on concerning the identity of a possible NORTH AMERICAN sp. of these little jewels : The Sinosececio – or Tephroseris – newcombei, over in Canada’s Pacific Charlotte Islands !
Anyway,- I hope someone will some day soon realize that…these small ‘Oldhamianus-Sinosenecios’ “are extremely collectable” & lovely,- and quite possible suited for the heat & moisture experienced in North Carolina, too – ?
And…if it isn’t the Wynn-Jones’es we’re talking about…then please let your collector-friends know about this ‘Fansipan-Sinosenecio’, too, Mr. Avent – !