Garden

Try getting bamboozled

James Borchuck/tbt* Vittata, another clumper that serves as an effective screen, is yellow with green stripes that run the length of its stalks.

Fearless Florida gardeners brave the occasional garden snake, red ants, invasive weeds and plants rife with sharp edges and thorns. But when it comes to bamboo -- the fastest growing plant on the planet -- many gardeners run the other way.

They've heard the rumors about rampant bamboo overturning mobile homes, popping up through outdoor decks and devouring subdivisions in a single gulp.

With more than 1,000 varieties available -- from foot-high dwarf bamboo to timber varieties growing over 100 feet tall -- it is harmless: if you plant the right variety in the right location .

The most important factor to know is the plant's root system. The roots of clumping bamboos are not invasive and spread slowly from the original plant, making these varieties the best choices for most homeowners. At the other extreme are the running bamboos, which spread rapidly through far-reaching underground rhizomes (stems) and should be avoided.

Clumping bamboo is an ideal choice for adding almost instant privacy to your property. While some varieties can grow nearly 50 inches in a day, many reach mature heights within a few years.

"Bamboo achieves (privacy) that trees take years and years to do," says Michael Lenas, owner of Exotica, a St. Petersburg nursery and landscape design firm.

Some of Lenas' recommended varieties:

* Emperor's blue bamboo (Bambusa chungii ) reaches its full 30 feet in 2-5 years and develops beautiful, powderlike pale blue culms about 2 inches in diameter.

* Timor black bamboo (Bambusa lako ) develops dark chocolate culms that grow from 35 to 60 feet.

* Japanese timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii ) has 3- to 4-inch wide culms that shoot up to 45 to 60 feet within five years.

* If you have a small yard, the 30-foot-tall Graceful bamboo (Bambusa textilis gracilis ) has a more compact base, with foliage extending out almost in a triangular form.

* Need a hedge? There are about a half-dozen varieties of hedge bamboo (Bambusa multiplex ) that grow from just a few feet up to 25 feet.

Be careful when shopping for bamboo because plants can be mislabeled, warns Mary Ann Smith, co-owner of Bamboo Gardens in Palm Harbor.

"What you thought was a chihuahua could end up being a St. Bernard," Smith said.

But it's no joke. Do your homework before you buy. A good source for detailed plant information is the American Bamboo Society's Web site: www.americanbamboo.org

Bamboo sources

- Exotica, 2134 44th St. S, St. Petersburg; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thur.-Sat. and by appointment; (727) 328-8841.

-- Bamboo Gardens in Palm Harbor is by appointment only (727) 784-0517.

Workshop

Two free workshops are scheduled for those who want to learn more about bamboo: Feb. 27 and March 6 at Bamboo Gardens. Space is limited and reservations required; call (727) 784-0517.