BAMBOO

Bamboo has been important in Asian cultures for thousands of years. With over 1200 known species, this group of plants is gaining popularity worldwide for ornamental and economic purposes. Most people think of bamboos as plants found only in tropical regions, but at Boxhill Farm we are pleased to offer a wide variety of bamboos that are hardy in the Northwest. As bamboos vary from forest giants to tiny dwarfs, so does our collection. This year we have expanded our selection while continuing to reduce prices on our most popular bamboos.

We are Washington's largest bamboo grower. We welcome you to this site with a wealth of information about bamboo.

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Types of Bamboo

Running or clumping? One of the major differences in bamboo is whether they are runners or clumpers. Clumpers possess a concentric, non-invasive rhizome structure (pachymorph). They grow in a generally expanding circle the way trees do. Each growth bud pushes upward to form a stem (culm) and does not move laterally underground to form running rhizomes, the cause of sometimes rampant growth in some running species (leptomorph). The growth of clumpers is more predictable and generally slower than the growth of runners. It should be said that the growth of all bamboo is highly dependent on site specific considerations such as the amount and intensity of sun, soil fertility and texture, and the availability of water. In North America the larger running bamboos will generally grow faster and larger than will the clumping bamboos. While they are lovely, few if any clumpers will ever exceed 18 feet in height. They tolerate our low intensity Northwest sun pretty well, but in most other parts of the country they prefer at least partial shade.