Eric

Hi again Bob,
I was more than a bit rushed, yesterday, so I thought I'd append my last message. The Rubromarginata & Robert Young bamboos are both hardy down to 5 or 10 below zero F.
While I'm not real crazy about the Rubro, the Robert Young has been pure Joy! The old-gold green-striped culms are fantastic & it's fairly drought-hardy. However, it does have an unfortunate tendency not to send out runners as frequently as other bamboos thus making it a more difficult bamboo to find in-stock. I planted it in spring 2004 and, despite minimal attention, it has thrived (a lot of my back yard resembles a forest). For color, the 'Mountain' bamboos are fabulous and can endure much lower temps. Conversely, they can suffer heat. If this is your 1st venture with bamboo, don't be upset if the culms drop yellowed leaves in the spring; they're simply replacing the worn-out & older leaves. Best of luck. Michael James, signing off for now.