Can I expect my bamboo to reach its maximum rated height and culm diameter?

With bamboos that have an established history here on the West Coast, we have provided their maximum estimated height in parenthesis. Because many of our bamboo plants are so new here and have no lengthy history to gain statistics from, it is very hard to estimate the maximum height that they will attain. In these cases we have to rely on height ratings that have been established in their natural environment under ideal conditions. We do not expect bamboos to reach the size they attain in their natural environment on the West Coast. In these cases as a rough rule of thumb we estimate them to achieve 50% - 75% of the size rating given adequate room, soil conditions, sun exposure, fertilization, watering and other growing conditions. As an exception to the rule the hardier bamboos tend to grow closer to their maximum height rating in their natural environment than the less hardy bamboos. One of the most important factors in determining maximum height is the amount of space you are ...  more