Mexican weeping bamboo
Encyclopedia
The Mexican weeping bamboo, Otatea acuminata aztecorum, is a clumping bamboo
found in Mexico
and Central America
. It produces thick stands of long narrow leaves. The weight of the leaves cause the long thin clums to bend, or weep.
in gardens which receive partial or full sun. It is somewhat drought tolerant, but benefits from occasional watering and feeding. Allow the soil to dry out between watering. Mexican Weeping Bamboo is easily grown in pots to around 6 feet tall, but may achieve 15 feet or more if planted in the ground and regularly fed and watered.
Mexican Weeping Bamboo is easy to propagate by dividing the root ball with a sharp spade. A particularly delicate look can be achieved by thinning the culms so that they are spaced a foot or more apart. This allows dappled light to pass through the Mexican Weeping Bamboo, and the plant will sway gracefully in a gentle breeze.
It is a fast growing clumping bamboo which can spread one or two feet in each direction yearly. It is well suited to the climate and soil in Southern California, and can be successfully grown and propagated with minimal effort. Unlike many bamboo varieties, the leaves do not brown at the tips even under suboptimal growing conditions.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
found in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. It produces thick stands of long narrow leaves. The weight of the leaves cause the long thin clums to bend, or weep.
Cultivation
The Mexican Weeping Bamboo is often used as an ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in gardens which receive partial or full sun. It is somewhat drought tolerant, but benefits from occasional watering and feeding. Allow the soil to dry out between watering. Mexican Weeping Bamboo is easily grown in pots to around 6 feet tall, but may achieve 15 feet or more if planted in the ground and regularly fed and watered.
Mexican Weeping Bamboo is easy to propagate by dividing the root ball with a sharp spade. A particularly delicate look can be achieved by thinning the culms so that they are spaced a foot or more apart. This allows dappled light to pass through the Mexican Weeping Bamboo, and the plant will sway gracefully in a gentle breeze.
It is a fast growing clumping bamboo which can spread one or two feet in each direction yearly. It is well suited to the climate and soil in Southern California, and can be successfully grown and propagated with minimal effort. Unlike many bamboo varieties, the leaves do not brown at the tips even under suboptimal growing conditions.
Subspecies and varieties
There are several subspecies and varieties:- ssp. acuminata
- ssp. aztecorum - the most commonly culivated
- 'Dwarf'
- 'Mayan Silver'
- 'Michoacan'