This section lists the tropical bamboo plant varieties we have in production. They
are all tropical, or sub-tropical, clumping bamboos and are generally not
cold-hardy like the temperate, running bamboos. Some, the sub-tropicals, can
tolerate freezing temperatures for short periods. Check the minimum
temperatures listed on each species description as a guideline for which
species can grow unprotected in your area.
Use our Search Bamboo page to find something specific.
Green culms densely covered with grayish-white silky hair; branches short, slender, dense. Will grow to 30' with 2" diameter culms in Florida. Minimum temp 30 degrees F. Min USDA zone: 9b. Click here to find zone
New shoots are interesting with a purple tone and a darker swirl pattern. Will grow to 40' tall, with 3" diameter culms in Florida. Minimum temp 30 degrees F. Min USDA zone: 9b. Click here to find zone
Beautiful, erect, textilis-like plant. From Yunnan, in China. Will grow to 25-30 feet. New canes have blue/white powder. Min USDA zone: 9a. Click here to find zone
Tiny leaves and even smaller thorns at the branch bases. The culms are relatively thin and rarely straight which gives this bamboo a bush-like form, great for a secure privacy screen. Grows to 70' with up to 5" diameter culms. Min USDA zone:9a. Click here to find zone
A small bamboo from Australia that's primarily used as a privacy/screening plant. Newer introduction to the USA.
We're test-growing in our fields to verify a reported max mature height of 15'. Click here to find zone
Australian import. Dense and bushy. Similar to B.malingensis but is a bit smaller and also has a groove in the bud canal above each node. Not a textilis cultivar despite the occasional species listing with that name - still a popular medium-sized bamboo. 30' tall at maturity. Min temp. 24 degrees F. Min USDA zone: 9a. Click here to find zone
This bamboo was one of many bamboos and plants accumulated over decades by South Florida plant collector, Michael Gideon. It is the most-interesting of his unidentified bamboos.
Culms are steel-blue green with a light powder bloom. Leaves are small and thin. It looks to us like a hybrid of Bambusa membranacea.
30' tall at maturity. Min temp. 24 degrees F. Min USDA zone: 9a.Click here to find zone
From Yunnan, China - this bamboo was imported into USDA quarantine in 2014. As its name indicates, the internodes (the space between the culm nodes) can become longer than that of many bamboos. This makes them useful for crafts and flute-making. It grows in an erect form up to around 25' tall at maturity. Click here to find zone
A smaller bamboo for gardens. It has very dark green culms that darken to a mottled black color with age.
The New Guinea Black is a good alternative to Bambusa Lako, which is sometimes too large for smaller gardens. The form is similar to Bambusa lako but grows to only about 1/2 the mature size. Note: This is one of our new bamboos that we've imported into USDA quarantine. It was released to us in 2012 and will be available after 2013.
Will grow to 20' with 1" diameter culms in Florida. Minimum temp. 29 degrees F. Min USDA zone: 9a.Click here to find zone
One of our true novelty bamboos - sure to attract all plant-nerds.
The 'bait' is the incredible eyelashes that appear on each branch. Many bamboos have oral setae (hairs/bristles) that grow on or near the auricles (connecting area of the culm sheath and blade). This bamboo develops exaggerated fans of hairs giving them the appearance of false eyelashes.
Collected in Phu An (Vietnam) Bamboo Village by Dr. Cliff Sussman and sent to USDA quarantine, it was released in 2018 and is now test-growing at Tropical Bamboo Nursery.
Basal internodes almost solid. Thorny. Culm sheaths persistent. Useful in construction - especially in Vietnam. Will grow to at least 50' with 4"-5' dia. culms. Min USDA zone: 9b. Click here to find zone
A beautiful, relatively small-growing ornamental bamboo that has both variegated leaves and striated culms. For years, the identity of this Thai import had us stumped. Recently, I found a grower in Thailand who had it labeled as Arundinaria suberecta. The A.B.S. references that as a common mistake and corrects the species ID as Bambusa suberecta. Will grow to 20'-25' tall with thin 1" dia. culms. Somewhat bushy in form. It remains quite rare in the United States. Min USDA zone: 9b. Click here to find zone
Yellowish green longitudinal streaks on lower internodes. Beautiful striations on young shoots. Not a large-growing tropical bamboo - may reach 20' tall.
This bamboo species was once imported by the FCC/ABS in the mid-1990s. No positively identified specimens could be located so we re-imported from China in November/2012.
Min USDA zone: 9b. Click here to find zone
This species was originally distributed as a seedling of Bambusa edulis. Although bamboo seedlings do tend to vary significantly from the parent plant, this bamboo has turned out to be anything but a product of B.edulis. After years of field-growing amongst similar looking bamboo species, we've determined it to be a dwarf form of Bambusa textilis. Culm sheath comparison (with B.textilis) has verified this. A bamboo collector once brought a small bamboo to us to ID. He was calling his little unidentified bamboo 'Bambusa textilis New Dwarf". We planted it in a line of 'Richard Waldron' and, after a full year in our field, every bamboo in that line were identical. Regardless of its name, the plant is a charming little bamboo. It is a small, delicate fountain of wispy canes and tiny leaves. It was originally named (common name) to honor the late Richard Waldron. We're keeping his name on our inventory. Some people have been calling it 'Ladyfinger Bamboo' so we'll include that too on our tags. Will grow to 10' with 1/4" diameter culms in Florida. Minimum temp. 21 degrees F. Min USDA zone: 9a. Click here to find zone
Also called B.textilis albo-lineata.
Random white vertical stripes on culms. The stripes become
more distinct as the bamboo matures. Typical textilis growth
habit and appearance but with the added bonus of the white
pin-stripes.
About 20' - 30' tall with 1" dia. culms.
Min. temp 21F Min USDA zone: 9a. Click here to find zone
