Sales are closed until December 2024.
Description
We sell "rhizome sets" of
Arundinaria gigantea, North America's largest native bamboo which are wild cultivated in Eastern Kentucky. Each rhizome set is enough to establish a single planting of giant river cane and orders typically include two or more rhizome sections. Orders will completely fill a USPS "side loading" medium priority mail box sized approximately 14 x 12 x 3.5 inches. Usually this equates to several sections of rhizome that are 12-24 inches long each. The bamboo "culms" are trimmed a few inches above the rhizome.
Price and shipping
The photo at left portrays a typical order of one rhizome set after the culms have been trimmed to prepare for shipping.
Each rhizome set order costs a flat rate of $59 per rhizome set, which includes $19 for USPS priority mail packing and shipping. If you order multiple rhizome sets, each set will be shipped in it's own box with its own tracking number.
We only accept orders that will be shipped to the continental United States.
Affiliate commission rate
You receive 9%, or in other words, $5.31 per order
If you think you know other folks who might want to place an order, you can create a permies affiliate link to this thread using your permies affiliate code. If anyone clicks on that affiliate link and then purchases rhizomes from us here, you will receive your percentage of the sale. There is more information at this link:
https://permies.com/wiki/affiliate
About giant river cane
Arundinaria gigantea, giant river cane, is the largest of the three native North American bamboo species. Its native range includes the southeastern United States, west to Missouri, up the Mississippi Valley to southern Illinois and up the Ohio River to southern Ohio and Maryland. Vast canebrake ecosystems once filled river valleys here in the Central Appalachian mountains as recently as two hundred years ago composed of thousands of acres of giant river cane in low woods, areas with moist ground, and along riverbanks. Today, most of those canebrakes are gone, but river cane still grows in wild places that are hard for humans or grazing animals to reach.
The cane from Arundinaria gigantea has traditionally been used for craft and agricultural purposes. The variety of uses for river cane exceed the space available to list, but the Wikipedia articles for
Arundinaria and
Arundinaria gigantea are one starting point.
How big does it grow? How fast does it grow?
In our experience, this species tops out at about 20 feet. In diameter, the thicker culms are up to about three quarters of an inch; stout enough individually to serve as a fishing pole or a beanpole, but not strong enough to serve structural purposes.
Arundinaria bamboos primarily reproduce vegetatively through leptomorphic (running) rhizome growth. Arundinaria expand slowly compared to the most famously invasive running bamboo, but under good circumstances, this cane could become invasive as well, so select your site thoughtfully.
Order fulfillment
We dig and ship about once per week from the beginning of sales until the last frost in our area, usually around May 1. The rhizomes will be shipped within 24 hours of being dug to ensure their viability. You will receive an email the day your rhizomes are shipped so that you can prepare to receive your order.
Planting the rhizome set
Please plant your rhizome set as soon as possible, and until then, keep the rhizomes from drying out completely. If you need to wait more than a day or two to plant the rhizomes, "heel them in" to a temporary site outdoors, or in a cool indoor location like a garage, as you might a bare root tree.
Arundinaria gigantea is part of the grass family, and it may help to think of site selection and care in that way as a starting point. It can tolerate some shade, but does need a regular supply of sun and moisture. Don't plant your cane directly in a wetland, but find a site that is regularly moist without being saturated by water.
To plant your rhizome set:
Remove an area of soil approximately the same size as the package, then loosen the soil in the bottom of the planting area.Place the rhizomes in this area, orienting the culms upward.Cover the rhizomes with soil. Ensure at least an inch of packed soil above all sections of the rhizome. You may need to mound soil over the site to cover all sections.You may find it convenient to place small stones along the rhizomes to help them conform to the new site if you find them bending upward and out of the soil. We suggest limiting the weight of each stone to a pound or two.
About wild cultivation
Please be aware that these rhizomes are intentionally not grown in sterile conditions or soil. They are grown outdoors in USDA climate zone 6b in their natural habitat. During packaging, we remove loose soil along with any other visible plants that were growing along the rhizomes.
How fast will they grow?
For at least a year, your bamboo planting will be mostly underground and we suggest using flags or another marker to ensure the small cane culms aren't lost or accidentally mowed down. In their native environment, transplanted rhizomes will grow new culms that are approximately six to eight inches tall by the end of their first year, so choose a marker that will last until at least the second year when you can expect them to reach two or three feet in height. While the rhizomes are becoming established, you should plan to weed around the site periodically to ensure it isn't overrun by established or more invasive species.
Return Policy
We will not accept returns nor offer refunds. However if your river cane arrives safely from USPS but is not viable, we will ship one replacement rhizome package for the cost of shipping rounded up to the nearest whole dollar amount. We will only ship one replacement per customer or order.
About Us
Your purchase supports a homestead farm and family cemetery in Appalachia. Mark is a theater artist and nonprofit administrator from the Eastern Kentucky. Much of his professional work involves community-led food and agriculture programs. The farm has a focus on supporting citizen-led ecology, sustainability, and responsible wild harvesting practices.
