We have five general groups of bamboo

Here in the Southern Willamette Valley of Oregon we have the prefect weather to grow Bamboo of all kinds.  We generally have a nine month growing season.  There is probably no better place to grow these giant grasses than in the “grass seed capital of the world”.  From the Giant Timber down to the Dwarf Bamboo Maya Gardens has what you need.

We divide our bamboo into five different groups.  There is no “set” rules for what is a giant timber or dwarf bamboo.  We use the groupings only as guidelines.  For some, eight feet tall is to tall to be a dwarf, for others it is not.

Giant Timber BambooPhyllostachys ~ Giant Timber
Giant timber bamboo from 35 to 75 Feet
This group of Phyllostachys include some of the tallest bamboos on earth.  These are some of the most colorful and largest culms of all the bamboos.  Reds, greens, yellows, butterscotch, purple, black and blues are all included in this grouping.  Many are used for crafts, food, building and instruments.
Phyllostachys MidSize Running
Phyllostachys ~ Midsize Running
Phyllostachys  From 10′-35′ Feet
This grouping is the shorter Phyllostachys, to 35′ tall.  Culms range in colors from greens and yellow, some reds thrown in too.  Some have colorful strips in their culms and foliage as well. The popular crookstems are in this grouping, those that have an occasional zig zag in their culms.
Midsize Running Bamboo Midsize Running
From 10-35 Feet
This group has a number of different varieties in it:  Arundinaria, Bashania, Hibanobambusa, Indocalamus,  Pleioblastus,  Pseudosasa and Semiarundinaria. These are mostly green to yellow culmed bamboos, some have larger leaves, some have variegated foliage.
Dwarf Running BambooDwarf Running
Ground covers and small shrubs from 3-8 Feet
This group covers all the shorter bamboos that we grow. It includes  Chimonobambusa, Pleioblastus and Sasa.  Some have variegated leaves while others have large leaves.  Most all are grown for their foliage, as the culms in this group are small, under .5″ typically.
Clumping Bamboo
Clumping Bamboo
Non running bamboo, tropical to hardy.
This group includes both hardy and non-hardy types of non running bamboos.  It includes:  Bambusa, Borinda, Chusquea, Fargesia,  Thamnocalamus and Yushania.  Hardiness ranges from 15° F down to -20° F. Heights range from 8′-25′.