our web site: pnwbamboo.org letter from the presidentthe wsu puyallup research station, and that...

Our Board has had one meet-ing and one online discussion since the last newsletter. Online, the board approved a research grant (as in years past) for the bamboo trials at the WSU Puyallup research station, and that funding was paid in April. You can read more about the activities at the grove in this newsletter. We also have some items from the meeting that we are still working on. Bill Greaver has volunteered to be our contact person to rekindle the chapter relationship with the Woodland Park Zoo. So far, a meeting with the zoo horti-culturist has been elusive, but Bill hasn't given up! Our treasurer, Adam Wil-liams, is in charge of solicit-ing an event coordinator whose duties will include finding volunteers to organize membership events for the chapter. If you are interested in helping with that, you can contact Adam or me for more information. The board also decided that our chapter needs an online voting system for electing our Board members. At the an-nual meeting last fall, we didn't have enough members for a quorum, so elections

could not be held. I hope to have a system in place for online voting by the annual chapter meeting this fall. It seems that the slow econ-omy and high fuel prices con-tinue to dampen chapter ac-tivity, and membership num-bers as well. If you have overlooked your membership renewal, please help support the ABS and its chapters by taking the time to renew to-day. If you are a non-member and want to learn about, en-joy, and support bamboo re-search, you can join the American Bamboo Society with no fuss at: http://www.americanbamboo.org/GeneralInfoPages/ABSOnlineMembership.php Ending on a bright note, the convention committee contin-

ues to work hard on finishing the details for the 2009 ABS Convention September 30 through October 4. You can read about their progress elsewhere in this newsletter, and check the ABS Conven-tion web page for updates at: http://abs2009.pnwbamboo.org It's going to be great! The Convention is a wonderful opportunity to see and learn about bamboo, experience the beauty of Western Washing-ton, and more importantly to meet and share with others passionate about bamboo. I really hope to meet you there! Phil Comer PNWCABS President 360-432-8493 [email protected]

Our web site:

pnwbamboo.org

In this Issue:

∗ Report From the Dry Side (pg 2)

∗ Board Directors / Chap-ter Positions (pg 4)

∗ Sunset Magazine visits Bamboo Garden (pg 4)

∗ 2009 Schedule of Events & Bamboo Festival Info (pg 5)

∗ ABS Annual Meeting Schedule (pg 6)

∗ In the Spirit of Our Motto (pg 8)

∗ Bamboo Fabric - Quali-ties and Production Pros and Cons (pg 9)

∗ Bamboo Hats (pg 10)

∗ Leaf Variegations (pg 11)

∗ What’s in a Name? (pg 12)

∗ ABS Representative Re-port (pg 14)

∗ Puyallup Grove Work Parties (pg 15)

∗ Got Bamboo? (pg 16)

∗ Membership Information/Application (pgs 17-18)

Letter from the President

Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Bamboo Society

Spring/Summer 2009 Newsletter

Pursuing the endless possibilities of bamboo

PNWCABS HOSTING ABS CONFERENCE OCTOBER 1-4, 2009

See page 6-7 for conference schedule

Visit the conference website for more info abs2009.pnwbamboo.org

download the press release by clicking on PRESS

on the conference website menu.

It has been a hard winter for my bamboo with a low temperature of -18 degrees Fahrenheit, high winds and little snow cover followed by record snowfall. Almost all of my planted bamboos were killed to the ground including the hardiest bamboos such as Fargesia nitida and Fargesia dracocephala 'Rufa'. Arundinaria gigantea 'Macon' still has some green leaves but less than 5 % so it looks bad. The plant that looks the best is Fargesia murieliae, but even on it the outside culms are dead and it lost about 80% of the leaves on the remaining culms. Some other bamboos still have green leaves that were covered with mulch over the winter but even those received some damage and the only green leaves left are close to the ground and were pro-tected the most. I had wrapped some plants with burlap to try and protect them but that did not help this year. Most of my bamboos are shooting now but from the current looks of things about 5 of the species that I have are completely dead. There is still time for them to send up new shoots so I cannot call them dead now. On a good note, you might have read on the bam-booweb.info forum or Phil Comer’s blog on half-sidebamboo.info that I don’t clean my refrigerator very often. I found some Fargesia nitida seeds that I had refrigerated when Phil sent me some in 2005 when his plant flowered so I planted the seeds and 28 germinated which is close to or a better germi-nation rate than the fresh seeds that were only re-frigerated for 2 weeks. You can see a list of the bamboos that I am grow-ing, (and the ones I have killed) by viewing my profile in the forum on www.bambooweb.info .

Bill Hollenback Tyler, WA

Report From the Dry Side by Bill Hollenback

Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Bamboo Society, Spring/Summer 2009 Newsletter

This winter was a lot harder than most for bamboo on the west side of the state, with weeks of freezing weather and a lot of snow build-up. Our planting of ‘Big Node’ bamboo that we have had for at least 5 years, which was extremely happy and lush, was reduced this winter to a lot of dead culms and a few live culms with very little leaves. To say the least, it looks haggard. In the past, it has had vigorous shoots, this year producing only about 8 shoots, although the shoots are coming up within the original plant and up to 3 feet away from the original plant, so it still has life beyond the center and are hoping it will live up to its reputation and spread like wildfire throughout the next year. Almost all of our bamboo plants, approximately 12 varieties, had negative effects as far as leaf loss. The only plant that looks like there was no effect from the cold weather is a Phyllostachys vivax that is approximately 25 feet tall, which we got from Bamboo Garden in Oregon approximately 4 years ago. Its leaves are lush and it shows no signs of wear and tear due to the weather. It has no shoots that we can see, although it was transplanted two years ago and is partially surrounded by other plants, so we may not be seeing the shoots yet. From what I have heard, it may be early for this plant to shoot, so we are still waiting. Though we lost a lot of culms and leaves on most of our plants, it seems that all of them, except for the potted plants, have made it through the winter and will continue to grow. The happiest plant as far as new shoots goes is our Moso. It has too many shoots to count (okay, I could count them but I don’t feel like it) and twice as tall as the existing culms. The new shoots aren’t even done yet and we’re already looking forward to next year! Kimberly Gildroy Lake Stevens, WA Special Report from “The Other Side”

Report From “The Other Side” by Kimberly Gildroy


BAMBOO “SMEAROGRAPHY” Qiongzheua tumidissinoda

‘Big Node’/‘Chinese Walking Stick’

Bamboo Shoot/Raindrop

BY KIMBERLY GILDROY TOUCHINGTHEHEARTDVD.COM

Please send submissions of original bamboo related poetry, drawings, paintings, photography, cartoons, jokes, etc, to Kimberly Gildroy at: [email protected]

All work must be original. No guarantees on publication. Have fun!

Let’s Go Surfing! A wealth of bamboo products and information at your fingertips

A Full-Size California Home Made of Bamboo http://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2009/bamboo-housing-takes.htm Rat Attack! Rats cause havoc when bamboo in India goes through its flowering cycle. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/rats/program.html

Board of Directors Secretary/Director James Clever [email protected] 206-371-1072 Director Bill Hollenback [email protected] 509-981-0664 Director George Gearhart [email protected] 206-898-1954 Director Robert Kendrick [email protected] 415-309-8223

President/Director Phil Comer [email protected] 360-432-8493 VP Oregon/Director Ned Jaquith [email protected] 503-647-2700 VP Washington/Director Don Asher [email protected] 206-567-4040 Treasurer/Director Adam Williams [email protected] 503-516-2395

Newsletter Editor Kimberly Gildroy [email protected] 425-319-6667 Chapter Representative Bill Hollenback [email protected] 509-981-0664 Source List Editor Noah Bell 503-647-2700

Chapter Positions


Photograph © Jim McCausland Visit the following link for their article!

http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2009/05/bestever-bamboo-day-trip.html


2009 Schedule of Events

Seattle Bamboo Festival June 14, 2009 (Sunday) 9am to 3pm Donald Graham Visitor's Center Washington Part Arboretum 2300 Arboretum Drive East Seattle, WA 98112 ________________________________ PNW/OBA Bamboo Campout July 11 & 12, 2009 (Saturday & Sunday) McKenzie Valley Bamboo 38753 Camp Creed Rd Springfield, OR 97478 541.746.9734 (13 miles east of Eugene) www.mckenziebamboo.com _________________________________ Portland Bamboo Festival July 25th 9am to 3pm (Saturday) Hoyt Arboretum – Picnic Shelter Contact Adam Williams (503) 516-2395 [email protected] _________________________________ American Bamboo Society Conference October 1 - 4, 2009 (Thursday - Sunday) Theme: BAMBOO, Green Sustainable See page 6-7 for schedule, visit the following web address for more info and updates: http://abs2009.pnwbamboo.org/

The Seattle Bamboo Festival will be on Sunday June 14, 2009 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Donald Graham Visitor's Center, Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle WA 98112. There will be a RARE BAMBOO AUCTION at 11:00, so all of you folks out there with cool bamboos that want to support the chapter, please bring plants! Like last year, plants will be donated, and 100 % of the proceeds will go to the chapter. For vendors, we will be handling the sales the same as last year. Each vendor is responsible for their own plant sales, including the collection of money. Also, vendors are individually responsible for any licensing requirements, and the collection of sales at the Seattle rate of 9.5%. Like last year the chapter is asking for 30 percent of sales as a donation to help keep us financially healthy. Feel free to give more if you can! We can always use volunteers to help out the vendors and to answer bamboo questions, so please pitch in if you can. Also, if anyone is interested in doing some sort of educational talk, please contact me by phone or email. Thanks! Phil Comer 360-432-8493 [email protected]

Picture submitted by James Clever, courtesy of Hotel Murano. View from the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, WA, site of the 2009 ABS Conference.


Photograph © Jim McCausland

ABS Conference, 2009 schedule: Theme: Bamboo – Green & Sustainable. Venue for all events, unless specifically given otherwise: Murano Hotel, Tacoma, Washington Wednesday, 30th September, 2009 ABS Board Meeting. Location: Cavallino Room, Murano Hotel; 3rd Floor. ABS Board members meeting. ABS members are welcome to watch and learn. For more details contact your ABS Representative. Thursday, 1st October, 2009 Option 1: Pre-conference tour: Tour to Rhododendron Species Foundation, Bamboo Gardens of Washington & Tacoma Zoo. Transportation for tour, box lunches and drinks provided. Tour package fee $50 per person. Option 2: Pre-conference one day class: Advanced field identification of woody bamboos and an overview of current research in bamboo evolution and systematics -Dr. Jimmy Triplett, University of Missouri, St. Louis with Dr. Lynn Clark and Amanda Fisher. Location: Venice Ballroom (1st floor), Murano Hotel. Lunch and admission fee = $50 per person Friday, 2nd October, 2009 ABS Conference Day One: Location: Venice Ballroom (1st floor), Murano Hotel. 08:30 to 12:00 Welcoming Ceremony & Lectures. Morning coffee/tea/snacks. 12:00 to 13:00 Box lunch provided 13:00 to 17:00 List of speakers and talks for today's lectures: 1. Ted Meredith, author, will introduce his new book, “Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos.” 2. "Save Dirt, Save Civilization - Plant Bamboo" -Professor David R. Montgomery, University of Washington 3. “Exploring the Impact of Bamboo on Air Quality: Not all species are created equal” - Andrea Melnychenko, Graduate Student, Portland State University. 4. "Farming Bamboo" - Wade Bennett, Rock Ridge Orchards and Cidery. 5. "WSU Puyallup Bamboo Variety Trial. 2001-2009.” - Dr. Craig Cogger and Andy Bary, Washington State University Research and Extension Center, Puyallup. 6. "Wastewater Management, Bamboo and Our Carbon Economy" - Doug Lewis and John Anderson Bamboo Hardwoods and Bamboo Wastewater Technology. Vendors, Auction Plants & Silent Auction Plants will be open to all. Location: Venice Ballroom (1st floor), Murano Hotel. A separate fee is required to attend the talks room. Evening Banquet: Catered Dinner. Entertainment: Talks, slide show and keynote speaker:

(Continued on page 7)

The Annual Meeting of the American Bamboo Society Events, Tours & Conference October 1 to 4, 2009

Hotel Murano, Tacoma, Washington Bamboo - Green and Sustainable


1. "Sexy New Bamboos" - Ian Connor, Connor Bamboo, Portland, OR and Bill Hollenback, www.bambooweb.info. 2. Keynote lecture: Keith Rushforth Collections from the Himalayas" - Mike Bell, British Bamboo Society. President Emeritus Location: Venice Ballroom (1st floor), Murano Hotel. Fee for admission. Saturday, 3rd October, 2009 ABS Conference Day Two: Location: Venice Ballroom (1st floor), Murano Hotel. 08:30 to 12:00 lectures 1. "ABS" arts program and My Bamboo Art" - Charissa Brock, Portland OR bamboo artist and ABS Arts and Crafts Coordinator. 2. "A brief history of Fargesia, its geographical range, and how to collect and grow the seeds when it flowers" Whitney Adams. 3. "Bamboo Mites" - Robin Rosetta. 12:00 to 13:30 box lunch with ABS General Meeting. 13:30 to 14:30 "Sustainable management of bamboo in the urban landscape" - Ian Connor, Connor Bamboo, Portland, OR, and James Clever, Bamboo Gardener LLC, Seattle, WA. 14:30 to 15:30 "Recent introductions of clumping bamboos to the U.K." - Mike Bell, English plantsman extraordinaire 15:45 ABS Silent Auction closes. 16:00 to 18:00 ABS Auction with Galyn Carlile as auctioneer. Open to all. Fee for admission: Check the registration page for costs for these events. Rooms reserved: two of the Venice Ballrooms (one for the talks and one for the auction plants, Silent Auctions wares and vendors). Sunday, 4th October, 2009 Post Conference Farm Day: 08:15 Depart from Hotel Murano, Tacoma. 09:00 to 17:00 Workshop with Dr. Craig Cogger, Andy Bary, Ian Connor & James Clever. Location: WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Centre, including time in the research groves. Morning coffee, tea, snacks and boxed lunch provided. Transportation: Provided for conference attendees departing from Hotel Murano. Fee for admission: Check the “REGISTRATION” page for costs for this event. Please note: All times and details may change due to unforeseen circumstances. A complete, current schedule will be available in the conference packet upon check in at Hotel Murano.

(Continued from page 6)

Feminine hygiene products? Not something one expects to read about in a newsletter about bamboo! However, in the spirit of this newsletter's motto, Pursuing the Endless Possibilities of Bamboo, here they are... Lisa Allbee started making cloth feminine pads originally for herself with cotton terry and flannel scraps she had around the house, discovering that, yes, cloth is way more comfortable, however due to inadequate absorbency issues they did not provide enough protection for her to feel secure leaving her house while using them. In her pursuit of comfort and security, she researched products and discovered hemp fleece. A stitch here and a stitch there, and she had herself a very absorbent, comfortable, leave-the-house-without-worrying product. Sound too good to be true? You're right! Though the hemp's absorbability was a fine thing indeed, drying them took almost two cycles in the dryer. Back to the drawing board (or, more accurately, the Internet), Lisa did further research, finally discovering bamboo fabric. Yes! Providing comfort, absorbency, easy cleaning (and drying), with the added benefit of its antimicrobial properties, bamboo fabric has now become the fabric of choice as the core in all of her feminine cloth pads. "I love bamboo fabric. If I could have all my clothing made from it, I would. It is soft, breathable and thin. Plus it has antimicrobial properties and is a crop that is highly sustainable without having to use pesticides or fertilizers." That's what we're talkin' about! Being that she was so comfortable and so secure, she had a thought to share these wonderful products with other women, giving birth to YurtCraft, where you can find a wide variety of feminine cloth pads, in all different sizes, thicknesses, and fun outer fabric designs, all sporting cores of mighty, absorbable, comfortable, antimicrobial, highly sustainable bamboo fabric! Visit her website at yurtcraft.blogspot.com for more information. Visit this blog post for an article she wrote up just for you! ('cause I asked her to… wasn't that nice of her?) http://yurtcraft.blogspot.com/2009/05/inside-of-yurtcraft-pad-and-bit-about.html

She tells you in more detail about the process of discovering bamboo fabric, about different aspects of using cloth pads, a little history on why she decided to start making/using them, answering a lot of the questions you may have - why would I use cloth pads? how do you care for them? etc, etc. There is also a place to write her on her blog, so you can ask questions - whatever pops into your mind. She's not squeamish (you probably figured that out already) and is open to whatever questions you might have regarding the use of cloth pads (and, of course, the bamboo fabric!). Want to know more about BAMBOO FABRIC? The what's, how’s and why's, and the tooting of bamboo as a wonderful resource? Check out these links! Where she gets her bamboo cloth: wazoodle.com Information about Bamboo Fabric: bamboofabricstore.com More Information about Bamboo Fabric & Bamboo: bamboostyle.com/whybamboo.html

This here is 16 oz. bamboo fleece. This here is 16 oz. bamboo terry cloth.

A bamboo fabric core.

Just one set of many different varieties of finished products (with, of course, bamboo fabric cores).


In the Spirit of Our Motto by Kimberly Gildroy


Bamboo Fabric - Qualities and Production Pros and Cons

Links and Excerpts

Following are links and excerpts from various resources regarding bamboo fabric’s qualities, including its absor-bency qualities. Visit the links for more information. All of the links contain a lot of the same general infor-mation, however they do all seem to have something a little different to provide. There are also a couple of links leading you to articles about the process of turning bamboo into fabric, the pros and cons of the process, and the efforts to veer away from harsh chemicals. A video demonstrating bamboo fabric’s absorbency compared to cotton fabric’s absorbency: http://www.bamboo-wear.co.uk/article.asp?uname=absorb_test Excerpt from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bamboo-fabric.htm “Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. Bamboo fabric has been growing in popularity because it has many unique properties and is more sustainable than most textile fibers. Bamboo fabric is light and strong, has excellent wicking proper-ties, and is to some extent antibacterial. The use of bam-boo fiber for clothing was a 20th century development, pioneered by several Chinese corporations.” Excerpt from: http://www.bamboofabricstore.com.au/absorbent.html “In textile form, bamboo retains many of the proper-ties it has as a plant. Bamboo is highly water absorbent, able to take up three times its weight in water. In bam-boo fabric, this translates to an excellent wicking ability that will pull moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporate. For this reason, clothing made of bamboo fiber is often worn next to the skin.” Excerpt from: http://www.bamboofabricstore.com/behaviour.php

Absorbency of our Bamboo Fabrics:

“We've done a lot of 'lab' tests on the absorbency of the various blends and constuctions of bamboo fabric we carry and some that we don't. Most of what we found can be summarized with the following comparison of the top three absorbency performers: One quarter cup of water, poured over a stack of many layers of each fabric soaked through 7 layers in the velour (h) test, 6 layers in the fleece (f) test, and 4 layers in the double side terry (e) test. Also, for absorbency without a lot of bulk, both single-side terry fabrics do great. If you really want to see the nitty gritty details of all the testing we did pop us an email and we'll happily oblige.” Excerpt from: http://www.linencloset.com/bamboo.html “Bamboo fabric is absorbent. The cross-section of bam-boo fiber reveals various micro-holes, allowing bamboo cloth to have superior moisture absorption. This allows it to absorb and evaporate human sweat rapidly when used in nightgowns and lounge wear. It’s absorbency also makes it perfect for towels!” Visit this link for a pros and cons view on creating bam-boo fabric: http://womensfashion.suite101.com/article.cfm/bamboo_eco_fashion The process of creating bamboo fabric is not always friendly to our environment due to the chemicals used. Visit this link for more information about the efforts to produce bamboo fabric without harsh chemicals. http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/06/26/bamboo-fiber-greenwash-or-treasure/ “Bamboo garments are praised for design characteris-tics similar to lyocell. The lyocell process is used to manufacture the Tencel® brand which is considered eco-friendly because their formulations used are suppos-edly nontoxic to humans. Lyocell processes are closed-loop so that 99.5% of the chemicals are captured and recycled to be used again. In comparison to chemical bamboo fiber production, it’s greener.”


Plant: Moso Plant Location: Lake Stevens, WA John & Kimberly Gildroy Pictures Taken By: Kimberly Gildroy Date Pictures Taken: June 4, 2009 The leaves shown are all taken from new shoots on this one Moso plant, just a few examples of the large variety of leaf variegation.


Reprinted from:

www.halfsidebamboo.info

If you are new to bamboo and confused by the names you read and hear, this article will help you to understand some basic naming conventions, and how they apply to bamboo. To effectively communicate with others about the identity of a type of bamboo, you use common names and botanical names.

Common Name Common names are simply plant names that become popular for referring to a particular type of plant, i.e. Golden Bamboo or Black Bamboo. A particular plant is very likely to have different common names in different regions, and in different languages. Also, different plants will frequently have the same common name. For example, there are at least two different types of bamboo that are both referred to as "Black Bamboo." Common names are not regulated by any sort of code, nor does the scientific community have any rules regarding their formulation. Because of the reasons above, common names are of limited use in the accurate identification of plants. They do, however, make great nicknames when identity is not in question.

Botanical Names Naming conventions for botanical names are established in a code called The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Taxonomists use these rules to identify, classify and name different plants and plant groups. The essence of botanical nomenclature is to identify a plant type with one name that is accepted internationally. Once you understand how the terms "genus," "species" and "cultivar" work together, in the majority of instances you can accurately convey the identity of the bamboo you are talking about to another person, and vice-versa. Granted this system has its

What’s in a Name? by Phil Comer

own set of problems that lead to inconsistency, errors and exceptions. Still, it is a system that enables widespread agreement on the identification of a great number of plants, bamboo included.

Genus and Species A genus is a taxon (group) of very closely related plants. You can think of a species as a smaller, more closely related group contained within a genus. For us average gardeners, the species name is the basic unit we use most to identify a type of bamboo. The species name consists of two words. The first word in the species name is the genus, and the second word is called the "specific epithet." Taken together, the genus and specific epithet are the species name. For example, Fargesia robusta is the species name for a bamboo type in the genus Fargesia that is distinguished with the epithet robusta. By the way, "species" can be either singular or plural.

Cultivar Species often contain subgroups that differ from the type in minor but distinct ways. Concerning bamboo, the subgroup you will most likely encounter is a "cultivar." A bamboo cultivar is distinguished from its species by a mutation of culm color, leaf variegation, or leaf size/plant size. Mutated plants are selected and propagated by growers for ornamental characteristics that make them desirable as landscape plants. A cultivar name is added to the species name to give it a separate identity. Naming conventions for cultivated plants are published in the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. Just know that the cultivar name follows the species name, and is capitalized in single quotes; the species name is italicized, but the cultivar name is not. For example, Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis' is the correct reference to a yellow-

(Continued on page 13)


culm cultivar of the species Phyllostachys vivax.

Science Meets Business Patented and trademarked plants are appearing at nurseries more and more, and they are raising nomenclatural confusion to new heights. For those of us that get confused easily, the good news is that there aren't any patented bamboos yet to talk about (that I know of). Yippee! And so far, only a few trademarked bamboo names have surfaced. Just know that the trademark name does not distinguish the plant as a cultivar. For example, I have grown many wonderful plants produced under the name Fargesia scabrida Asian Wonder ™. In this case, the trademark name Asian Wonder ™ is a really cool name, but it doesn't do anything to clarify the identity of the bamboo; it's still just plain ol' Fargesia scabrida. The best resource you have for the current and most widely accepted bamboo names is the bamboo species list at bambooweb.info. Phil Comer 360-432-8493 [email protected]

“HOW TO DIVIDE YOUR CLUMPING BAMBOO” VIDEO Visit Phil’s bamboo blog for information regarding bamboo, including categories of bamboo for beginners, bamboo links, bamboo basics, bamboo critters, bamboo plants, bits and pieces, botanical, how to, landscape projects.

There is also a well-done video on How to Divide a Clumping Bamboo. Phil shows you and tells you how to properly divide your clumping bamboo, reasons for dividing your clumping bamboo, and after-care instructions, in a clear, consise manner. Definitely worth your time if it’s something you want to learn more about!

(Continued from page 12)

Amazon states this has not yet been released, but you can pre-order it for $13.57!

From Timber Press Website

“The Timber Press Pocket Guide to

Bamboos covers 35 genera of bamboos in cultivation and describes more than 300 species and cultivars. Each entry includes the plant's maximum height,

maximum culm diameter, light requirements, and minimum

temperature tolerated. Includes 300 color photographs for easy

identification. Packed with all the authority of an encyclopedia in a

pocket-size format, the Timber Press Pocket Guide to Bamboos is a perfect reference for taking to the nursery or

garden center.”


There are a few things that are happening at the national level. The big thing is the changes in the USDA bamboo importation and quarantine regulations. From Bill King ABS President

• Of the 5 current permits for bamboo, 3 are up for renewal and the other 2 are to renew soon. They probably won't be renewed - at least not in their present form.

• The USDA is somewhat concerned that the permits are used for a commercial advantage to the permit

holders and that public money is supporting a private commercial endeavor. This may be naive in terms of the relative costs but they only are considering it from a theoretical point.

• They are also very concerned that some airborne pathogen such as wheat rust could be imported and

while it might be harmless to bamboos it might be disastrous to some other member of the grass family. Remember that many of the grasses have powerful lobbies, i.e. rice, corn, wheat, sugar cane, etc.

• What he is considering is changing bamboo from a "Prohibited Plant" to a "Regulated Plant." Then they

could allow plants to be imported but the plant would be sent to Beltsville for quarantine in the USDA greenhouses under HEPA air filtration and observation. After quarantine the plant would be released back to the individual who imported it but would also be kept for some period of time and would be released to anyone who was aware of its existence and requested a specimen, much like the plants available at Byron.

• At any rate, we probably need to develop a position paper and respond to him in a positive way so that

we have some change of being able to import new plants in the future. This issue is still ongoing. Speaking of the USDA, I am hearing more stories of officers from the USDA going to the homes of people that have mentioned on the internet that they bought bamboo seeds and taking the seeds and plants. They said that they consider any bamboo seeds to be imported so if you have a flowering bamboo and plan on planting the seeds make sure you document where they came from. In the past month they have also confiscated a dried culm and rhizome that were sent to a nursery from out of the country. They were sent to the nursery for identification and were clean and dry so they could not be used to propagate bamboo and did not have any soil that could harbor a pathogen. I don’t know what to make of that? What makes a dried culm different than a piece of bamboo fence? As I write this, the ABS is having an on-line auction of plants and bamboo items. Because of late donations the bidding on some items will last until June 6th. I would like to thank all donors and bidders for supporting the ABS. Bill Hollenback Representative of the Pacific Northwest Chapter to the American Bamboo Society (ABS)

ABS REPRESENTATIVE REPORT By Bill Hollenback


WSU Puyallup Groves April Work Parties

before clean-up

finished lane after clean-up

Volunteers gathered on April 4 and April 18 to help clean up the WSU bamboo groves in Puyallup. A big THANK YOU! to everyone who helped out! “We had a fine work party on April 4. Ten people came and what a difference it made to have so many there! The groves went from alleys that were impenetrable to ones that you could look through and walk through. The day was gorgeous and the chance to meet with and ask questions of Andy Bary was fun and encouraging. We decided to host a second cleanup party on April 18.” - Daphne Lewis Visit the Annual ABS Conference on Friday, October 2, 2009, for lectures, including a lecture about the WSU Puyallup Bamboo Variety Trial 2001-2009. See Page 6 for more details! Visit the Annual ABS Conference on Sunday, October 4, 2009 for a “post conference farm day” with a visit to the WSU Puyallup Groves. See page 7 for more details!


Beaverton, OR


Use the form on the last page to renew your membership. Send the form with check or credit card information. No cash please. Checks should be made out to:

American Bamboo Society 315 S Coast Highway 101 Ste U PMB 212 Encinitas, CA 92024-3555

Or renew on line! (and pay through PayPal) at:

americanbamboo.org/GeneralInfoPages/ABSOnlineMembership.html See the next page for application and additional information regarding membership benefits and dues.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This newsletter is only available on line at pnwbamboo.org. To find the newsletters, go to pnwbamboo.org, click on DOWNLOADS, click on NEWS-LETTERS, and click on the blue down-arrow of the newsletter you would like to view. You can print the newsletter from the view. You must have Adobe reader to view the file. If you do not have this, go to ADOBE.COM and click on the icon that says “get ADOBE reader.” It is a free program. www.pnwbamboo.org

Renew Your Membership!

Have questions about whether you need to renew your membership or not?

e-mail Bill Hollenback

[email protected]

Advertise in our newsletters! $25 for the whole year Send a scanned business card to Adam Williams at: [email protected] or send your business card to be scanned to Adam Williams at: 1960 NW 113th Avenue Portland, OR 97229 payments to be sent to Adam at the address above.

Chusquea culeou new shoots June 2009

Lake Stevens, WA

our web site: pnwbamboo.org letter from the presidentthe wsu puyallup research station, and that...

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