Bambusa multiplex sp. --Alphonse Karr Clumping Bamboo--

Great taller bamboo, with relatively slender 1 inch canes, cold hardy to 18° and grows to 20 feet. This bamboo variety is the most colorful of all the multiplex cultivars in existence and likes to show off its bright yellow culms with irregular dark green stripes. Non-invasive and can create an almost impenetrable hedge with a relatively compact footprint allowing for versatile use in smaller landscapes as well as larger properties. New shoots and culms are often reddish. Clumping bamboo is an underappreciated gem. It grows fast, looks great, and has endless uses—think strong building materials, eco-friendly fabrics, and more. It’s sustainable and tough, yet people still overlook it. Some fear the spreading kind, but clumping bamboo? It’s a different story—beautiful, manageable, and worth a second look. To ensure maximum cold hardiness regularly (every couple of months or more) add a rich compost or mulch to the existing corms. This will also create rapid tight growth of the clump of canes. And though bamboos are very drought tolerant, keep in mind the more water, both through the root system as well as spraying the foliage will keep it looking lush, and tropical and helps to maintain a peaceful mind.