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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

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Saturday - April 15, 2006

From: Trinity, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives, Transplants
Title: Information on care and transplant of non-native Bamboo in North Carolina
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I am considering transplanting some bamboo from my backyard to my side yard in Northern Randolph County, Central Piedmont, North Carolina. Could you offer me any pointers on a direct ground to ground transplant, spacing, max. size that will make it ETC,

ANSWER:

Our focus and expertise is in plants native to North America. The only bamboo native to North America is switch cane or giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea). There are two subspecies, Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. ssp. gigantea and Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl. ssp. tecta (Walt.) McClure. I am guessing that you probably have a non-native bamboo growing in your yard so I am going to send you to the American Bamboo Society FAQs page with information about transplanting bamboo. They provide a diagram for dividing bamboo. You can find more information on growing and caring for bamboo on their General Bamboo Information page. Two commercial sites, Bamboo Garden Nursery and Lewis Bamboo Inc., also have information about caring for bamboo.
 

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