Golden Goddess is listed to grow to about 10 feet tall.

My Golden Goddess grows to over 16 feet in height. I'd have to measure to get an exact height, but it is thick up to about 10 or 12 feet from the ground. One reason may be that it gets some shade in the Summer and not full sun.

Environment plays a large part on how tall and large a bamboo plant will grow.

Good Luck

Kt

Kt, since I'm a complete novice, please bear with me. Up until a few months ago I was one of those who thought all bamboo was invasive. Had never heard of the clumping variety.

A year and a half ago we cut down six 70' tall pines along our rear property line. Three had been struck by lightning and the others were earmarked to come down for construction of a workshop/garden shed. Needless to say their loss changed the dynamics of our small city yard. It's the area where the pines once grew that I'd like to plant the bamboo. It gets full sun morning till mid-afternoon. Last year I amended the soil with compost, but need to bring in a load of additional soil this year to correct a drainage problem.

What would you suggest to provide the best growing conditions? Did you have any trouble finding Golden Goddess? From what I've read so far it looks like March would be the optimum time to plant. Is that right?

Full sun is best, but mine grows in more shade which may be why it is a bit larger and taller. You may look into some of the other B. mult., or it's varieties, such as Al Karr, which grows to about 20 feet tall here, but can easily be trimmed to any height you desire.

I tend to think that a well-drained sandy soil would be best, but I have seen some growing in black gumbo. Plant in a high spot as opposed to a low area where water may stand for long periods of time.

I purchased my Golden Goddess online from Gib Cooper, at Tradewinds Bamboo Nursery in Oregon, but there are several bamboo nurseries out there that carry it.

I like to plant it after the threat from frost is gone, usually in early March, but it can be transplanted at almost anytime of the year, with varying degrees of success. Early Spring will give the roots/rhizomes a good length of time to develop in their first critical growing season, and remember to keep them watered well during their first season and if you do fertilize, do so very lightly in it's first season.

Depending on the size of the plants you receive, sometimes you can divide them into two and maybe three plants each. If not, plant them in the ground, and after a year or two, you can take divisions from them, which will keep your original purchase price down, but will take a bit longer to get thick coverage.

I would suggest planting them between 4 and 8 feet apart, depending on how fast and dense of a barrier you want.

I like taking a 'before' and 'after' picture so that you can see the difference. Take one of the fence before planting, take one after planting, and then one at the beginning and end of the growing season each year. I always realized that the bamboo grows fast, but I never realized how fast until comparing photos from the beginning of the season to some later on in the Summer...you will be surprised.

One other thing, don't expect a whole lot of growth in it's first season, since most of the growing is going on underground. It's second season, and especially in it's third season, you will really see some growth, especially with help from extra waterings and some fertilizer.

Good Luck

Kt

i have planted some GG I think 2 years ago. I divided it pretty agressively in order to get more for my money FYI I think this was a bad idea since some of the divisions are just now as big as the original pots. The biggest clump is only 5 feet tall. Some of the divisions died completely.

they are in full sun and I havent fertalized them. I am hoping this season will be a big improvement.

Kt, thanks for all the information! I'm hoping to find bamboo sources locally. A Google turned up a couple nurseries in state, so that's always an alternative.

Below are a couple of Bamboo Nurseries In Louisiana, and another that has no website.

The Bamboo Company

Bamboo Gardens Of Louisiana

Live Oak Gardens, Ltd. in New Iberia 1-800-725-5625.

I also was at a nursery in Opelousas that had a lot of bamboo. I think the name was Louisiana Nursery. A lot of plants there, but they like you to call before visiting.

Another great place to visit is Avery Island. They have many many varieties of bamboo. It is a great place to see how the different varieties grow down there. I don't know how it fared through the hurricane in 2005, but I'm sure it is OK. If nothing else, you can visit the Tabasco plant right next to it, which is very interesting and a great place to get some hot spice for some gumbo.

Good Luck

Kt

Mmmmm!! Sounds delicious. I like mine made with a lot of garlic, and it also makes great étouffée, or even jambalaya.

The last time I had some, it was cooked over sugarcane and wood chips, that I believe were pecan chips, but whatever it was, it sure made it delicious.

OK, back to bamboo...I missed going to the New Orleans City Park, or Arboretum, last time through. I beat the hurricane by two weeks, but missed the exit. We decided to make it later in the year, but since it was flooded, we do not know if anything is left. It had some nice bamboo plants there according to people I have talked with.

Kt