Bamboo In California

Where to Find Bamboo in California

The state of California is filled with bamboo! California’s climate is perfect for growing bamboo varieties that wouldn’t stand a chance in other parts of the United States. In the land of fruits and nuts, California has a superior magical climate that suits almost all types of plants. From the mountains to the valleys to the coasts, California is a fantastic place to grow all kinds of bamboo. In addition, you will find tropical and subtropical bamboo in the state. Bamboo is an excellent addition to your California garden, and bamboo furniture, products, and clothing are great green progressive products. 

Did you know that bamboo is the fastest-growing land plant in the world? Bamboo requires little fertilizer, pesticides, or other chemicals to grow. Even though bamboo plants need a lot of water, they are a drought-tolerant species. With over 1,500 uses for bamboo, it is eco-friendly and a renewable material that can be made into almost anything. 

When people think of bamboo, they think of panda bears, but bamboo doesn’t just grow in China. It grows on every continent except Antarctica and Europe, which means you will find this grass in California. There are over 1,000 species of bamboo, but habitat destruction threatens the species. Panda Bears depend on bamboo, and just as bamboo is threatened, Panda Bears are too. Pandas rely on bamboo for food and a place to live. 

Bamboo is in the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Bamboo grass can grow so fast that it extends several feet in one day. Many people mistake bamboo for trees because they can grow super tall, but bamboo produces 30% more oxygen than an equal-sized tree. Bamboo can be made into many things because they have sturdy and solid trunks and branches. From furniture to flooring, bamboo can be made into just about anything. 

It is important to point out that no bamboo species are native to California, but you will find bamboo native to Mexico growing in parts of the state. If you are a California gardener, you don’t need to worry about bamboo becoming invasive in your garden. To keep bamboo from taking over your garden, you only need an excellent containment plan or a clumper to stop it from spreading. 

Bamboo Arboretums and Gardens in California 

Los Angeles County and Botanic Garden

Located in the heart of the historic Rancho Santa Anita in Arcadia lies this unique 127-acre botanical garden. The property’s mission is to cultivate natural, horticultural, and historic resources for learning, enjoyment, and inspiration. The Los Angeles County of Parks and Recreation jointly operates the park. The vision is to be one of the world’s greatest arboreta and botanic gardens, reflecting Southern California’s distinct climate, community, and openness to new ideas. You will find the bamboo in the palm tree colony, and there you will find a diversity of bamboo from light and delicate to high and mighty. You can visit the Los Angeles County and Botanic Garden from 9 am to 5 pm.

Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens

Also located near Los Angeles is the world-renowned and impressive Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens in Pasadena, California. The botanical gardens feature living collections in 16 stunning theme gardens with over 83,000 living plants, including rare and endangered species, and a laboratory for botanical conservation and research. The garden covers over 130 acres in the L.A. suburb of San Marino. So if you’re looking for bamboo, you’ll find it in the Jungle Garden on-site. They host the rare and gigantic Dendrocalamus asper bamboo in their garden. The Jungle Garden features a high forest canopy, an understory of trees and shrubs, climbing vines, and tropical plants. Some tropical plants include orchids, bromeliads, gingers, ferns, palms, bamboo, and more!

Descanso Gardens

At Descanso Gardens, people connect with nature. This 150-acre display in La Canada Flintridge hosts international botanic gardens where visitors can relax. This garden has something for every plant lover. The gardens include Rose, Japanese, Camellia, Oak Forest, Ancient Forest, California Garden, Oak Woodand, and Nature’s Table.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

This Japanese garden is located on the campus of Cal State University in Long Beach. In this garden, you will find bamboo in unique ways as ornamental features lining gates and fountains surrounding the koi ponds and tea houses. The garden is part of the College of Health and Human Services on the CSULB campus. The garden operates as a living museum, a place of learning, and a home for all art lovers who enter the gates. At this garden, you can indulge in many activities like feeding the playful koi, strolling the garden pathways, drinking tea in the Tea House, or meditating in the Zen Garden. Each season has a plethora of different colorful blossoms to enjoy. 

Hakone Estate and Gardens 

Hakone Estate and Gardens in Saratoga, California, is one of the oldest and most famous Japanese gardens in the Western Hemisphere. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, this 18-acre property keeps ancient Japanese tradition alive, featuring cultural treasures such as moon bridges, tea houses, koi ponds, and Japanese artifacts. The Bamboo Garden on the estate is one of the longest-standing gardens. The estate began receiving very special, fragile, and highly prized bamboo from Yusui in Japan in 1985. The bamboo comes from local gardens in Saratoga and Los Gatos, while other species have been donated from different parts of California, Japan, and worldwide. 

San Diego Botanic Garden

 The Bamboo Garden at the San Diego Botanic Garden is one of the largest collections in the state. This urban oasis covers 37 acres over 4 miles and has meandering trails, ocean views, and over 5,300 plant varieties. Twenty-nine gardens represent over 15 different countries. In addition, the San Diego Botanic Garden hosts the most extensive children’s garden on the west coast and North America’s most extensive bamboo collection. The bamboo garden features over 100 different species and cultivars of bamboo from all over the world. SDBG’s Bamboo Garden was officially accredited in 2013 for its bamboo collection. This recognized the garden as a critical resource for bamboo research and preservation. 

Lotusland

Lotusland is tucked into the beautiful hillside of Montecito, California. Here, wonder, beauty, and mother nature grows wild over 37 acres of lush gardens. Lotusland resides in a residential neighborhood and operates under the County of Santa Barbara regulations and limitations. Lotusland is a plant collection of Madame Ganna Walska, displaying her exquisite estate and incredible architecture and gardening methods. Madame Ganna Walska is not just a passionate gardener but also a humanitarian. You will find bamboo by the bamboo pond, surrounded by Japanese elements and huge bamboo plants. 

San Francisco Botanical Garden

Up north in the Golden State Park lies 55 acres of botanical gardens, with over 9,000 varieties of flowers and plants worldwide. The San Francisco Botanical Garden connects people to plants, the planet, and one another. In the Moon Viewing Garden, visitors escape the city life’s hustle and bustle and find themselves in this Japanese garden filled with plants and stones from Japan. 

San Mateo Arboretum

Just south of San Francisco lies the San Mateo Arboretum, filled with an incredible tranquil collection of plants. In the Japanese tea garden, you will find cherry trees, Japanese maples, ancient trees, and a limited assortment of bamboo. 

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Visitors will find this garden picturesquely set in the mountains above Santa Barbara. Visitors seeking bamboo will find it in the traditional Japanese tea house on the property. The teahouse section uses California’s native plants to re-create a formal Japanese tea garden. It uses simple yet sculptural forms of plants like manzanitas that portray the true Japanese spirit. 

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