Hi, I am looking for some advice on some bamboo hedging for our property on Okanagan Lake near Vernon, BC. It will have to withstand +40 C and possibly down to a very unusual -20 C. This is full sun in the summer time. I would like some options regarding height, as I would like both a shorter and taller variety. Thanks so much for your help, Maurie
I don't think I've ever seen any bamboo in the interior, even at the heavily watered Yakima Area Arboretum. Atmosphere probably too dry in summer. Possibly the most hardy kinds, from Sino-Himalayan mountain forests don't like the soil minerals either - in nature these often grow with rhododendrons. Most other bamboos won't do well in the coldest intermountain winters. When I was at WSU the only place I saw the otherwise much-planted Cornus florida was in a space between buildings, with a decorative pool that had an island in the center. The dogwood was on the island, where it would have been getting constant increased humidity. No hyper-hardy bamboo will be adapted to arid summers either.
Perhaps Phyllostachys rubromarginata, for a taller timber variety that is notable for it's tolerance of cold, dry winds and hardy to your temperature range. As noted, however, it will likely suffer a lot in the heat, and a constant drip irrigation would be needed to offset this. There's a reason (as mentioned) why you don't see much/any bamboo in the Okanagan, the aridity in particular is very hard on them. Right at/near the lake edge, however, you might overcome this effect. Note I say might...considering the expense involved in planting a hedge, as opposed to a single specimen, might be wisest to look to another hedging material. I'd definitely consider it an experimental planting, if you go with bamboo. That said, ask around at local nurseries: if anyone has managed to pull it off locally (likely taking advantage of a more humid microclimate along the lakeshore) someone will know about it....
You could give Toni a call at Grasslands Nursery in Summerland. They specialize in plants for your area. You can call her at 250-494-4617 or info at grasslandsnursery.ca I don't recall ever seeing bamboo in the area. Toni can make some recommendations to suit your needs.
