Cold Hardy Tropicals

Zone 5-6 Bamboos

Certain species of bamboo can survive temperatures as low as -20°F. Below is a list of cold-hardy bamboos compiled by members of the American Bamboo Society. Although the plants will most likely not be killed by the temperatures listed below, they will often die back and regrow from the ground at these extreme minimums. If they experience these temperatures on an annual basis, they may not reach their full growth potential.

Zone 6b Bamboos (-5°F):

• Indocalamus sp. ’solidus’
• Indocalamus tessellatus
• Phyllostachys mannii
• Phyllostachys nigra ‘Hale’ (Black bamboo)
• Phyllostachys purpurata ’straight stem’
• Phyllostachys rubromarginata
• Phyllostachys viridis
• Phyllostachys viridis ‘Houzeau’
• Phyllostachys vivax (Running giant bamboo)
• Sasa palmata (Palm-leaved bamboo)
• Sasa senanensis
• Semiarundinaria fastuosa
• Semiarundinaria fastuosa viridis
• Shibataea kumasaca albostriata
• Shibataea lancifolia

Zone 6a Bamboos (-10°F):

• Arundinaria gigantea (Giant cane)
• Arundinaria gigantea subsp. tecta (Switch cane)
• Fargesia dracocephala (Dragon’s head bamboo)
• Phyllostachys atrovaginata
• Phyllostachys aureosulcata (Yellow groove bamboo)
• Phyllostachys aureosulcata alata
• Phyllostachys aureosulcata aureocaulis
• Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Harbin’
• Phyllostachys aureosulcata spectabilis
• Phyllostachys bissetii
• Phyllostachys propinqua
• Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens
• Pleioblastus fortunei
• Sasamorpha borealis
• Shibataea chinensis
• Shibataea kumasaca

Zone 5 Bamboos (-20°F):

• Fargesia murieliae (Umbrella bamboo)
• Fargesia nitida (Fountain bamboo)
• Phyllostachys nuda