We have chosen an interesting solution for some shade and privacy on our deck. That plant is… tada…Bamboo. No! Don’t run away! I felt great hesitancy in making this choice: but now I’m happy about giving bamboo a chance to shady up our deck this summer, hopefully.
Let me introduce you to the Alphonse Karr Bamboo.
Bamboo really causes gardeners to back away in a hurry because without doing some homework you could cause a major problem for yourself. Bamboo is a member of the grass family (Poaceae). It is a plant that grows and spreads using rhizomes. A rhizome is a part of the root that travels underground and shoots up younger plants along the way as a method of increasing the reach of the clump. Here, we have Bermuda grass in our yard and that is also a grass which spreads using rhizomes. It’s quite a challenge to try to keep the grass runners out of flower beds and even the cracks in the driveway. Bamboo has the same growth characteristic as Bermuda grass.
Okay, so we need to first understand there are two varieties of bamboo.
The one I knew I wanted to avoid was the running bamboo. It is able to send out rhizomes over an extended area. It is also a fast spreading trait which requires the gardener to be always vigilant so you keep it contained where it is not impacting any neighbor or the natural surrounding habitat. All bamboo is a tough plant and should be well understood about how the long term growth plan will be kept up with.
Our variety is a clumping bamboo. Clumping bamboos have a growth habit a bit more like our ornamental grasses. They have a tighter growth habit with slower spreading rhizomes. They are also good candidates for container plantings. I still believe I am not comfortable planting any bamboo in ground here and therefore we have chosen a Corten steel container about 2 feet by 4 feet.
We picked out the Alphonse Karr Bamboo which is also Bambusa multiplex ‘Alphonse Karr’. We became acquainted with this variety while browsing the Backbone Valley nursery in Marble Falls. After a good chat with one of the plant specialists at the nursery we brought home two of the 3 gallon specimens they had available.
I am really happy we are using a metal container because these bamboos had already split the plastic nursery pots along the sides:they are just that tough. Word to the wise, have a sturdy containment system if you think of growing any bamboo in ground or in container.
This bamboo features golden yellow culms ( the stalk like part of the plant) with green striping running into delicate narrow leaves. It grows in a vase like shape having the base of the plant narrower than the canopy. They like full sun to part shade and a soil that will be consistently moist without being wet. After the bamboo becomes mature in its planting it may be able to withstand some drought but it definitely a plant that needs more attention around water. I’m hoping for the height to reach 15-20 feet. I discovered the in-ground bamboo could reach 55 feet tall so there may be a chance for a good bit of shade if all goes to plan.
Bamboo is interesting because you may choose to let it grow in a natural shape or they can be hedged if you like a more controlled shape. The key understanding how to choose here is in knowing the culm will not grow beyond the height you trim it to. This means if you were to change your mind about the height you would have to wait for several years to regrow new culms. They like to have the dead culms cut out at soil level helping to direct the plant’s energy into the living portion of the bamboo. I am excited to see if I can use these canes in the garden.
The best tidbit that I learned about the Alphonse Karr bamboo is it is great for the heat. Love this feature! I believe it is hardy to 18 F (-8C). It grows well in zones 8-11 in the USDA hardiness map. I am going to watch for the leaves to drop during the winter but they should regrow as we enter our growing season.
To be fair the Agrilife Extension Texas A&M System has a very negative discussion about growing bamboo which you should read before making this choice. We are trying to be educated and careful while creating some needed shade for our outdoor living space.
To pair with our theme of bamboo, let me introduce the Bamboo Cocktail! Referenced in the 1908 edition of William (Cocktail) Boothby’s The World’s Drinks and How to Mix Them, the Bamboo is attributed to bartender Louis Eppinger of Yokohama Grand Hotel in Japan. Boothby describes the drink as “A well-known Japanese mixture, very popular with steamship men and tourists who have visited the orient”. The recipe is a very simple one using sherry, vermouth, and bitters. We did indeed try this drink and it is very tasty! The sherry gives it a bit of sweetness and overall the drink is refreshing, and one that we will definitely have again as we sit on our deck, hopefully shaded by the bamboo we have planted!
Here is the recipe for you if you are so inclined to give it a try:
- 1 1/2 ounces dry sherry (we used Madeira)
- 1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth (we used Dolin Blanc)
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- 1 dash orange bitters
- Garnish: lemon twist
Mix above into a stemmed glass with crushed ice and enjoy!
Resources
- Agrilife Extension Texas A&M System: Aggie Horticulture: Bamboo
- “Texas Gardening the Natural Way”, Written By Howard Garrett the Dirt Doctor, University of Texas Press, 2018 Edition, Pg 103.
- Pixel Bamboo: “Alphonse Karr Bamboo Care & Growth Tips”. By Leon Chad Online Article
- Wikipedia: Bamboo: Online Encyclopedia
- Central Texas Gardener Online Bamboo List under Resources
- Central Texas Gardener: Bamboo Basics: Season 23, Episode 19: Air date April 15, 2017
- Lewis Bamboo: Choosing the Right Bamboo Species for Texas: A North and South Texas Guide MAY 16, 2023. An online blog entry.
