Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea Carrière ex A. Rivière & C. Rivière)

Bamboo is an integral part of our gardens, employed as a shield against neighbors. There are many species of bamboo growing in all of our gardens. Most abundant is Phyllostachys aurea Carrière ex A. Rivière & C. Rivière, or Golden Bamboo.

Phyllostachys is an exotic species that is ill suited to this harsh environment. This year it is barely hanging on as we've gone from flood to drought. Massive irrigation keeps the plants going today, until we have some new rain.

This bamboo's classification is as follows. Note that all bamboos are grasses:

Kingdom
Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom
Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision
Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division
Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class
Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Subclass
Commelinidae
Order
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae – Grass family
Genus
Phyllostachys Siebold & Zucc. – bamboo
Species
Phyllostachys aurea Carrière ex A. Rivière & C. Rivière – golden bamboo

Close up of giant bamboo in the backyard. Each shoot is about 5" in diameter. This stand remains an unidentified species of Phyllostachys.



This stand of giant Phyllostachys stands 50' tall, towering over the native oaks and pines. I have not yet identified the species of this stand of bamboo in one of the neighbor's yards.