PlantFiles: Mexican Weeping Bamboo
Otatea acuminata subsp. aztecorum

This plant is truly an easy care plant and adds so much movement to my garden. I recommend finding a breezy and backlit location for a beautiful affect. For clay gardeners, there's hope. I had the ideal place to plant this bamboo; ideal that is, for me and not my plant, as it was a bed of clay. I dug a 12" wide and deep hole, placed the bamboo in amended soil and kept my fingers crossed. That was 7 years ago and it is doing fine.

I planted my Mexican Weeper about 3 years ago and true to bamboo form this is the year it is LEAPING! Yay! This bamboo has proven itself to be very hardy here in Galveston. Although during the winter it looks a bit messy, it is so pretty the rest of the year I can overlook the messiness. I have not yet found it to be invasive. So far this year, 3 new culms have emerged. The tallest one being about 16 feet. Planted on the north side of my house and with NO protection during the winters and it is doing well.

Zone 8b, Southeast, TX
Bob,

I need a fast-growing, thick bamboo to block ugly view and strong, unpleasent odor.
I see it is hardy only 9 + My temps drop to 19 or 20 degs. in Jan/Feb. Will it survive?
Your suggestions are greatly needed and appreciated.
This bamboo is expensive and I don't want to make a mistake.

Thanks, Bob

This is one of my favorite species of bamboo. IT is drought tolerant, easy to grow, fast, nice looking (lacy, droopy effect) and not a runner. However, even though it's not a runner, but a clumper, it is one of the more invasive clumpers and can spread several feet in each direction yearly. I have not had much problem keeping the new growths kicked back (just kick them as they come out of the ground), but it did grow into a neighbor's yard. Makes a nice shade for understory plants, but I'd still recommend puttin a rhizome barrier around it to protect those plants from imminent invasion. Is a bit messy as are most bamboo. Not as prone to mealy bug and scale as Bambusa species are.