CHUSQUEA. Bamboos. Mexico to southern South America. An unusual group of clumping American bamboos, inhabiting both subtropical and temperate regions. Some are free standing, fountain-like shrubs. Others have long, flexible stems which snake over other shrubs and trees. Their most distinctive feature is a dense circle of slender branchlets, and sometimes larger branches from which new plants develop, at each of the upper nodes. This gives them nearly the appearance of a giant Equisetum. They are elegant container subjects, though the size of the container needed will vary according to species and selection. Sun or light shade, reasonably well drained soil, regular watering. The following have recovered after bouts of 20-25oF, the severity of the damage depending on the suddenness of the freeze.
breviglumis. A sturdy bamboo with arching, dark green stems to 15’ or more. The nodes are enlarged and partly circled by brushes of mostly 6-12" branchlets. The leaves are small and bright green in color.
coronalis. This is described in a publication of the American Bamboo Society as “possibly the most beautiful bamboo in cultivation”. It clumps freely but maintains a narrow base, from which wand-like stems arch to 10-20’, often leaning down to touch the ground. Along the middle and upper nodes are sprays of wire-like branchlets carrying tiny bright green leaves.
foliosa. This is one of the most dramatic of the chusqueas (or perhaps of the bamboos in general). It is a robust plant, growing up to 15’ high, the sturdy culms standing bolt upright when young and gradually arching over with the weight of the foliage. Each widely spaced node has a broad cluster of 1-2’ branchlets which form great puffs of narrow, dark green leaves, each up to 8" long. One would use this plant in the landscape much in the manner of the larger bambusas, for example B. textilis. It has endured temperatures of around 20oF. and may be hardier still. Our thanks to Erik Nagata.
pittieri. This species has gained considerable popularity since the flowering of an old plant at the U.C. Botanical Garden in Berkeley and subsequent production of thousands of seedlings. It has gracefully arching stems and dense circles of drooping branchlets creating an almost continuous brush of soft, bright green 2" leaves. This should prove to be one of the best of the clumping bamboos for coastal gardens.