PlantFiles: Beechey Bamboo
Bambusa beecheyana

I rec'd a single stem of this bamboo cut back to 6 feet for my garden in July 2000. I was told it would take a few years to grow and look like a bamboo clump. I planted the specimen from a 15 gallon grow pot into my garden. I watered it heavily every day and feed it heavily as well about once a week with standard lawn fertilizer ( 21-9-9). I had my first new culms/stems (5 of them) by October 2000. It has been growing like a weed ever since. I now have a total of over 60 canes, some with a height of over 35 feet. It pushes up about 10-15 new canes every year. I absolutely love this plant. In doing further research I have found that many places advertise it but when you inquire they note they are out of stock. My grove has provided excellent shade to an area of my garden that needed it. Underneath the grove I grow Angel wing begonias, ferns, clivia year round. My coolest temp out here in the valley east of San Diego is about 28-30 degrees for a few nights late December and early January. It does get hot here in the summer between 95-105 degrees but the beecheyana does well with lots of watering and food.

I also have an extensive collection of tillandsias and spanish moss growing everywhere through out the bamboo. It is also a great habitat for my anoles and tree frogs as well. Last time I checked if anybody had this wonderful bamboo I was told a stem costed over $300 retail. If anyone would like to try this bamboo out I would be willing to cleave off a new culm and ship it. The bamboo would be free but the receiver would have to pay shipping. It could be shipped wrapped in wet papers and moss. I could cut the culm or stem down to about 4-5 feet.

It would be great to see more of this lovely bamboo available and used. By the way the San Diego Zoo has a great stand of it by the Panda Exhibit.

One of the larger clumpers- makes dense clumps of thick-walled, relatively straight culms (good for construction) of bright green arching poles. Leaves about 6" long. Not good for small gardens (shades a lot of area and clumps eventually can get up to 40' in diameter). But when starting out with a 15 gal pot, it could take a good decade until you get a decent looking clump. Not very invasive (stays put) but will eventually take out anything in it's path, so don't plant near construction/pipes etc.