So you don't like variegated bamboo?

It's interesting how some plants can completely captive you, while others you just don't care for. For example, begonias. Some people are just crazy about them, collecting every type they can find. I don't see the attraction, and find them to be just another plant, even boring. (No offense to those who love begonias!) For those who are crazy about certain types of plants, it's impossible to see why everybody doesn't love them, right?

That's how it is with me and bamboo. Bamboo is a plant that just does it for me, and my collection is always growing. So when I recently read that there was somebody who loved all sorts of plants but did not really like variegated bamboo, my first thought was "you haven't been looking at the right variegated bamboos!" If this is true and lack of exposure is the problem in this case, I hope today's post helps.

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Some of these photos are new, but others have been taken over the past couple of years. Variegation usually looks best when the leaves are fresh, and after a month or more of too-hot days it's hard to find pristine leaves -- I looked to my archives to help round out this post.

The bamboos featured here are: Pleioblastus fortunei, Pleoiblastus viridistriatus, Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'Shiroshima', Sasaella masamuneana 'Albostriata', and Pleioblastus shibuyanus 'Tsuboi'

If these photos haven't convinced you that variegated bamboos are beautiful plants that you must have in your garden, then I guess you really don't like them. Sigh.

I know that I sure do.

(I'll label all of these photos if the demand is there. Please let me know in the comments!)

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