Macon Rivercane Bamboo

Aurundinaria gigantea ‘Macon’

Plant Details

USDA Cold Hardiness Zones: 5a-11 Find Your Zone

Type: Running

Height: Zone 5: 6-8′ | Zone 6: 10′ | Zone 7: 14′ | Zone 8-11: 20′

Spread: 5’+ with no control

Culm Diameter: 1″

Sun: Full Sun or Part Shade

Soil: Highly adaptable from dry to wet!

Growth Rate: Fast in warmer climates. Less aggressive in colder climates.

Description

There are only two species of bamboo native to the continental United States and Macon Rivercane is one of them. This beautiful bamboo species once covered thousand of acres in North America, growing in locations at sea level to 2,000 feet in the Appalachian Mountains. They have been found growing in all types of soil from sandy, rock cliffs and mountain slopes to muck lands and rich alluvial areas of the coastal plains. They can withstand extreme temperatures of -10 degrees to 105 degrees.

Needless to say, ‘Macon’ is tough and beautiful native bamboo that anyone can grow. It is highly adaptable to all sites, even tolerating erosion. In colder climates, such as at the Denver Zoo, it has reached about 8 feet height in just over 10 years. While it will not mature at the taller heights of 20 feet or so warmer climate zones, it makes an excellent short screening bamboo for very cold climate zones in high elevations.

Average height by USDA Zone

USDA Zones 8-11: around 20′ in height

USDA Zone 7: around 14 feet in height

USDA Zone 6: around 10′ in height

USDA Zone 5: 6-8′ in height

Landscape & Other Uses

Containers/Pots: Good

Crafts: Good

Edible: NA

Hedge: Excellent

Indoor: ? – PLEASE SEE: How To Grow Bamboo Plants Indoors

Ornamental: Excellent

Privacy Screen: Excellent

Wood Quality:

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a, where this Bamboo variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Macon Rivercane Bamboo is an exceptionally easy to grow native that does well in almost any environment you plant it. It will grow in locations at sea level to 2,000 feet in the Appalachian Mountains. They have been found growing in all types of soil from sandy, rock cliffs and mountain slopes to muck lands and rich alluvial areas of the coastal plains.

How To Grow Bamboo Plants Indoors

Macon Rivercane Bamboo is a running bamboo, which means it spreads. Bamboo can be controlled in a small area (a normal city yard) simply by mowing or stepping on the young shoots. New shoots of some bamboo can also be used for culinary purposes and cooked, much like asparagus. Keep in mind that running bamboo only puts up new shoots for a short time each year and, when they are “shooting,” the new plants are very fragile and easy to destroy. Root pruning or installing Bamboo Root Barrier are other methods to control spread.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Bamboo plants.

How To Plant Bamboo Plants In The Ground

How To Plant Bamboo Plants In Containers & Pots

How To Fertilize And Water Bamboo Plants

How To Prune Bamboo Plants

How To Stop The Spread Of Bamboo Plants

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No problems with delivery at all plants arrived in perfect condition nice and green.———————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I have grown the regular Arundinaria gigantea River Cane and was very happy to discover this hard to find ‘Macon’ variety available here. The plant arrived on time, well packaged (FedEx definitely put it to the test), and it seems to be a very healthy plant.
This was my first purchase from Wilson Bros. and I am so glad I have found this company! The care and customer service was amazing at every step. It is so nice to find a business that cares about their customers and is proud of what they do.
I am a horticulturist and have purchased many plants over the years. I would say Wilson Bros. is one of the best I have ordered from and I plan on buying from them again in the future!————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG