Hi MissSherry, From what I've read about P. gritensis, it is a shade plant in its native habitat, and also cannot tolerate temps above the low 80s. It apparently prefers cool temps, with night time dips to the 50s. It might be possible to grow it inside during the summer, and put it outside during the fall, winter and spring (with freeze protection of course). But apparently almost no one in the U.S. has gritensis plants, and I've only seen one for sale on ebay. I've never seen seeds for sale either, which makes me think that the clones in cultivation all derive from the same cutting that someone was lucky enough to keep alive until it rooted. It is available in Europe, along with a number of other passies that we can't get here in the U.S. (very frustrating). So the hybrids are definitely the way the go. I have an Anastasia (gritensis x caerulea 'Constance Elliot') that I got from Grassy Knolls, and it is nearly 8 feet long now (with no side shoots). I am growing it under a covered patio to keep it in the shade and out of the 90 degree temps. It seems to like that spot. Pink Festival is another gritensis hybrid (gritensis x amethystina, I think) that I was considering--it looks nearly identical to Anastasia, and they both look nearly identical to gritensis. And according to the Grassy Knolls website, both are relatively easy to grow. Hope this helps! Mark

I would recommend p. nigra henon. Though, it will spread very slowly, and when temps go below minus 4 F, it'll top kill (unless you fertlilze the heck out of it with manure, which it likes). It's not very cold hardy, though it survives in 6A where we are (bad soil and we're on the top of a ridge) and is about 15 feet tall. Aureosulcata will definitely survive and it will run rampant once it gets going. I've got it and it's going all over the place! :D I also have atrovaginata (incense bamboo) and it seems to be slower to get going (the soil is total crap, I had to dump manure on it to keep it from dying, they hate bad soil) but seems pretty slow as far as spreading, so I'd go with incense bamboo. P. bissetti is very hardy (to zone 5 I think) but it's supposed to be very much more invasive than most, maybe because it's so hardy.

Plaster of Paris. I get mine at Lowe’s. https://www.lowes.com/pd/DAP-4-lb-Carton-Plaster-of-Paris/3033243