Technicolour Bamboos

[ChrisB]

I'll second that. Definitely pleioblastus auricomus. I have it planted at the base of a Phyllostachys aureosulcata "Harbin Inversa" with bright red Geum "Fireball" (Not normally my sort of thing). The three together look absolutely great.

As for the Otatea, I know Paul Spracklin has his planted out and I think Carwinnion have planted theirs out. I'm not aware of any others but would love to know if there are any.

[kentgardener]

As for the Otatea, I know Paul Spracklin has his planted out and I think Carwinnion have planted theirs out. I'm not aware of any others but would love to know if there are any.

I'm a chicken and kept mine indoors all winter!

__________________________________

John

[ChrisB]

How many examples are out there? Not many I don't think. I believe Gaz Rogers has one. Is it in the ground Gaz?

Don't worry John. Just leave it to others to conduct painstaking research for a couple of years and we'll let you know whether or not it's safe to take it out of its pot

[MarkD]

I think I'll chicken out too and put mine indoors this coming winter

Although I did overprotect my drepanostachyum microphyllum only to let it dessicate

[markj]

Hey folks, Dose green and yellow count in the techicolour awards.......













All in all not a good year, but a few have performed....

Although theres no sulcus on these vivax shoots as the branches aren't forming, the yellow bits up above---Honest

[MarkD]

I think so!!

You've got a few reversions there which I think look great among the yellow Vivax 'Aureocaulis' culms. On their own the green ones are 'Huangwenzhu', am I right?

Do you always get reverted culms on your Vivax 'Aureocaulis' clumps every year? Both our VA clumps threw out reverted culms too which it hasn't done in the previous years. Was wondering if there is a pattern?

[markj]

Hi Mark , yep spot on.

I've posted before that the yellow form of vivax (aureocaulis) may well die out. It began as a 'mutant' from a 'Huangwenzhu' and not that long ago. For a while it(A) seemed stable but many plants are now reverting to the stronger parent genes.

I still have one full on aureocaulis plant, as any green culms have been cut asap, but time will tell....

It should really be noted that the Vivax group are not stable, even the full green form( which is one of the rarest bamboo in the UK ) the latest incarnation is another 'mutation' from 'aureocaulis' and for now seems stable. It has the label 'Huangwenzhu inversa' it's yellow like aureosaulis but has a green sulculs ,sort of like the opp' of Huangwenzhu.

Interesting times...

[MarkD]

The contrast of the glossy green reverted culms against the yellow ones looks nice but didn’t realise it could dominate the VA clump. I thought it was the other way around before, Huangwenzhu being overtaken by VA. It’s a shame that the biggest culm on one of our clumps is a reversion but I’ll keep it for the moment as it does look good until it sends out more reversion, then I’ll start hacking back.

I’ve only seen photos of Vivax ‘Huangwenzhu Inversa’ but it’s very ornamental, reminds me of Castillonis but I can imagine it’s got the vigour of a typical Vivax, and much faster in our location than the bambusoides group.

I ought to take a photo of our supposed to be green Vivax as most likely it is something else. Hopefully you can tell me what it is

[AndyC]

How old are the Vivax before they start to revert?. Mine is probably too young as it is only just putting up its first inch thick culm.

[markj]

Markd , tis strange but the true plain green form of vivax is hard to find, I think it was purchase number six before I found the real thing
Like all bamboos when small there just soooo hard to tell apart.

Not sure there is a time/size thing when it comes to reverting, but one thing dose seem apparent once it starts there's no going back The plant in the pic above was fully yellow a few years ago, about three years ago it sent up it's first green culm. Last year it was roughly 50/50 green/yellow- this year I have about 12 green culms and 1 very small yellow. It's not just mine BTW, there's quite a few reports of this....


Is the new form of aureocaulis - the mutant 'inversa' widely available yet, it's well worth picking up as the colour is much better than the standard aureocaulis, Mark, I'll probably have a spare bit this Autumn, it'll cost you postage but nowt more

[MarkD]

Thanks Mark! Sent you a PM


Yikes, that's no good then if they start going into reversion mode. It was the buttery yellow culms with the random green stripes of the VA that makes it attractive, apart from the fat size of culms of course.

The Huangwenzhu is lovely as well but as a clump on it's own. The occasional reversion is nice but to start overtaking.... I'll see how ours behave and if it carries on I'll start lopping the green ones too


Can you post photos of your Huangwenzhu Inversa please?

[markj]

Mines not looking very photogenic at the mo , it's quite a vigorous plant,( thought more so than the parent) so after the first year it sent up some nice chunky culms. But the top half wasn't talking to the bottom half and come winter the whole lot blew over, snapped a few and severed the roots on the others. Back to square one, it's just regrowing from the rhizome, so all it's got is those tiny whipshoot type culms- just loads of them- Vivax

Although it was flooded at the time

I took a pic from the parent, in Mike Bells garden, I could post that, if I can find it

[markj]

I popped it into the old oasis bamboo thing, can't seem to post it here, but here a link.

Vivax 'H' inversa

[MarkD]

Too bad it got ripped by the gales But since it's more vigorous than the parent then you'll probably start getting nice sized culms again spring next year, or maybe even this autumn

I have seen that photo before but nice to be reminded again, I've forgotten it was there! It des look like a much more refined version of VA with the green stripe on the sulcus rather than the random ones of the former

[markj]

I've just remembered That plant in the pic also blew over the year before, bamboos don't ever regrow the anchor roots, they grow whilst the culm is expanding and thats your lot. So once they loosen thats it, Mike was lucky that the culms didn't snap, and he had the space to leave the fallen ones on the deck- the plant will then re-absorb the energy and hey presto That plant in th pic is only in it's second growing season, although it didn't do much the year after.

The main problem with vivax aureocaulis is that the green stripes that look so good are random and once the culms size up there ain't none

So, Vivax f. 'Aureocaulis' was borne ~~ 1980- Shanghai, China, intro in Europe 1990 ish and probably reverting back, so at least the new mutation will see us out