Bamboo in Camden, Alabama

From Ken Tilt, Something to Grow On newsletter, October 2002

I often get calls on bamboo. Some people want to grow it and some people want to kill it (similar to our deer problem). Callers are often interested in the fact that Auburn and the Experiment Station in Camden, Alabama were heavily involved in research of Bamboo for use as a renewable alternative crop for pine trees in the 1950’s. I have reprinted an Extension Bulletin from 1968 reporting on the bamboo research (go to keyword index) to show the researchers' very positive and glowing results. I often wondered why such promising data never progressed any further. I visited the now closed Camden Research Station to see the plantings and asked the retired Superintendent, Joe Little, what happened to the research. He said the money just ran out. The research was sponsored by a USDA grant and the next step in the research was to build a processing plant to test and stimulate interest in growing bamboo. However, political or economic pressures at the time shut off funding for the research. I enjoyed reading the information in this rare Extension bulletin and wanted to be sure it was saved for others who were interested.

Much of the bamboo is still growing well at the station (see photos below). They built a dam on part of the station and the water table rose in part of the bamboo nursery. Several species were lost due to excessive water. I offer a list below of the species at the station that are still roughly maintained and can be visited if you call Mr. Little. Some of the production groves of mature bamboo are interesting to walk through if you can squeeze under the towering canopy. There is no undergrowth on the ground beneath the bamboo. It offers an eerie view. Our visits to China have given me a great appreciation for these plants. Bamboo has incredible strength and endless uses. Some of the species we saw were also very ornamental. Unfortunately, bamboo is on the restricted entry list by USDA and we could not bring any in to the US to test.

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

P. bambusoides castilloni

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

P. nigra henonis

A. funghomii

A. funghomii

A. funghomii

Following is a list of bamboo species that can be found at the Lower Coastal Plain Substation in Camden, Alabama:

(A. = Arundinaria; P. = Phyllostachys)