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Alfonse Karr Bamboo - Bambusa multiplex "Alfonse Karr "
This Bamboo is a fast growing, natural privacy screen that stays green all year round.
Description: Another trouble free multiplex plant that is very hardy and versatile. A medium-size bamboo with a very dense growth habit. Culms grow very close to one another and numerous branches sprout from each node (joint) on the culms. Bright yellow culms with green vertical stripes and dark green leaves. New shoots appear pink.
Native Habitat: Southern China and Taiwan.
Size: Can grow more than 30 feet. Culms are usually about 1 inch in diameter and are strikingly attractive.
Cold hardiness: Root-hardy to about 0 degrees F. Leaves start to drop at about 15 degrees F and culms are killed to the ground if temperatures go much below 10 degrees F. Best adapted to Zone 8. Can be grown in sheltered locations in Zone 7, but there its late shooting habit can mean that frost-damaged plants will be leafless until the following July.
Culture: Plant in full sun or light shade. Hedge bamboo also appreciates a site that is sheltered from winter winds, even in coastal areas of Zone 8. When pruning, remember that new culms often emerge in the summer or fall of one year and don't put out leaves or branches until the next year.
Landscape use: Perhaps the most versatile landscape bamboo for Zone 8. Makes a beautiful specimen plant or an opaque hedge. Can be pruned into a formal hedge by pruning off the tops of the culms.
Other notes: Widely planted in the warmer parts of Zone 8 and throughout Florida.