Bamboo Nursery Tampa
Palmco grows dozens of varieties of top quality tropical and cold-hardy palms and clumping bamboo, and we have 600+ acres under cultivation. We nurture every plant in our warm, fertile environment, giving it ample space to grow and proper nutrition.
Tampa is part of Central Florida, which also encompasses the Gulf Coast cities of Clearwater, Largo and St. Petersburg, the interior around Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford and Lakeland, and stretches eastward to the coastal cities of Daytona Beach, Titusville, and Melbourne.
Summers are hot and humid, and winters are generally dry and mild. Hard freezes (below 28 °F) are a rare occurrence, so most of Tampa and Central Florida falls within USDA Zone 9B. These are some of the most suitable varieties of clumping bamboo for the area:
Alphonse Karr Bamboo – This variety is cold-hardy to about 15° F. Alphonse Karr has low water requirements and is extremely cold-hardy once established. It’s a dense Chinese bamboo that grows to 20 to 25 feet with 1- inch diameter culms and is one of the best screen or hedge bamboos. The plant has striking yellow culms and random green stripes and provides a golden glow in the garden.
Graceful Bamboo – Also called Slender Weavers, this Chinese variety is the most graceful of all bamboos. It has few lower branches on mature culms, so its attractive 1-inch diameter canes can be seen without pruning the plant. Graceful Bamboos have an upright growth pattern and are very well-behaved. Growing to a typical height of 25 feet, the plant will fit nicely in any city or country tropical garden, including small, narrow yards. It can handle temperatures down to 15° F.
Monastery Bamboo – Originating in Thailand, this beautiful bamboo has strong, extremely straight culms that can grow to 40 feet in areas where the soil is well-drained but consistently moist. It features small leaves on the top third that create a cloud-like effect. Monastery bamboo is perfect for tight spaces as a specimen or accent, and makes an excellent windbreak. It is cold-hardy to 25 °F.
Seabreeze Bamboo –Seabreeze is a tough, bushy native of Southern China that grows very quickly to heights up to 40 feet. This beauty features 2 1/2-inch diameter canes with a distinctive bluish-white tint in each section. Cold-hardy to 20°F, it is drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant and an excellent performer in zone 9B. When mature, it forms a graceful umbrella-shaped arch and is ideal for hedges, windbreaks and privacy screens. Its canes also make lovely “bamboo sounds” when the wind blows.
Tropical Blue Bamboo – Cold-hardy to about 20° F, this popular medium-tight clumper has light green leaves and nicely spaced thin-walled culms that develop a stunning powder-like, soft, light blue bloom. It needs a little more room than a tight clumping variety. At a maximum height of about 35 feet with 3-inch diameter culms, Tropical Blue Bamboo is appropriate as an ornamental or as a dense privacy hedge.
The knowledgeable staff at Palmco’s bamboo nursery in Bokeelia, Florida, can help you find the perfect varieties for your landscaping jobs in the Tampa area. Get in touch with us at (239) 283-1329 or (855) GOPALMCO to discuss your requirements.