Does anyone think there would be a bamboo that could realistically grow in sudbury (zone 4a) Ontario? I know some are hardy to zone 4, but could anything do well? thanks
Two of the hardiest are Fargesia murielae and F. nitida. They are also very pretty. If you can't get those to work somewhere there then there probably isn't much scope. http://www.americanbamboo.org/SpeciesSourceListPages/SpeciesTableF.html
There are no bamboos available that will remain evergreen in Sudbury unless you bend them over to the ground & cover them up before winter or make sure they are covered with snow for the duration of the winter. Getting bamboo to remain evergreen without or with minimal protection only seems to become practical in the zone 6a regions of southern Ontario. Around the Niagara area, winter protection is not required. Despite the literature that states Fargesia & others hardy down to -28ºC or lower, our cold kills them with duration & dessication. The rhizomes will survive though and shoot again in the spring. Stick with the running bamboos if you still want a dieback perennial, Fargesia (clumping) grows too slowly to use that way. Simon
Hi, I'm in ottawa and grow phyllostachys aureasulcata very well without much spreading. I like to have it evergreen in April, so I bend it over and cover it. Works great. Springs back up to 15 ft. tall with all the leaves in April, then new growth comes in May. It should grow fine for you with cover, also keep it well mulched through the year.
"The quoted minimum gives an estimate of the temperature at which some damage occurs due to cold." http://www.americanbamboo.org/SpeciesSourceListPages/ColdHardyBamboos.html