About Bamboo Collective
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We are a small, locally owned and run bamboo plant nursery located in Seattle, Washington.
We specialize in temperate running and clumping bamboo varieties that thrive in the Seattle/Puget Sound region.
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Visit our nursery, no appointment necessary:
Weekends: 10a - 4p
Mon/Tue/Wed: 10 - 2p
Thu/Fri: Closed
Reach out to us on our Contact Page
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See our Contact Page for address in information
Our bamboo enshrouded nursery is located in the Broadview Neighborhood in NW Seattle, near Carkeek Park.
There’s ample parking and easy access in a quiet suburban environment. If it’s within our posted hours, we’re here already outside or will be shortly.
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Yes, we sell an assortment of sizes of the top choice running and clumping bamboos. We curate the top choice varieties suitable for residential screening and gardening.
Check out our selection of bamboos and feel free to inquire.
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We’re open 5 days a week and welcome drop-in visits during open hours. Anyone interested, beginner to avid collector, is encouraged to stop by and check out our wide variety of bamboo.
Reach out to us beforehand with some details and pertinent photos and we’ll return some initial suggestions to maximize your visit.
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Yes, we accept all cards and phone tap payments via secure Square point of sale.
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Yes, we offer local delivery to Seattle and surrounding areas.
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We currently do not ship bamboo.
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We offer modest discounts to licensed vendors with a current reseller permit.
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Bamboo can be planted year-round in the Seattle area, but the best times are fall and spring when the soil stays moist and temperatures are mild.
Fall/Spring: Ideal times to plant. This is when bamboo invests energy in the rhizomes which spread and create new canes.
Summer: Can be a delicate time to plant as new shorts are fragile, but certainly possible. Attentive watering and partial shade for most varieties is necessary .
Winter: Bamboo grow
At Bamboo Collective, we specialize in cold-hardy varieties that thrive in the Pacific Northwest. We're happy to recommend the right species for your timing and soil conditions.
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We take pride in our bamboo for sale and ensure it to be vibrant and healthy upon purchse.
Plants can be returned for full refund up to two weeks after sale.
Please contact us if your bamboo isn’t thriving. Chances are high we can help remedy the problem.
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We stock the top selection of running and clump forming bamboos that are hardy to the Puget Sound/Seattle region.
Check out our plant selection page
If not on hand, most varieties can be sourced
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We work with the best local specialists, each experienced, talented and licensed in their craft. Reach out and we can provide referrals for barrier installation, box construction, grove maintenance and removal.
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Definitely. Container grown bamboo can be a smart way to add privacy and beauty to the patio or landscape.
An extra bit of care is required: consistent watering, annual pruning and occasional fertilizer are required to keep it lush and green.
Bamboo Collective offers expert advice on container sizes, soils and can supply the best species for your needs.
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Running bamboos can spread and become invasive. Forethought, preparation and light maintenance is required to grow them.
Clumping bamboos are more predictable, but also require forethought and care near property lines and tight spaces.
We’re here to help strategize and employ the best method to successfully contain your bamboo.
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This depends on the variety, planting area size and growing conditions. Timber bamboos have 35’ potential given a large enough area and years to develop.
Most midsize varieties reach 15-20’ in residential plantings, which is usually plenty tall enough for 1-2 story screening.
Dwarf varieties can grow 6-8’ and usually look best cut back each winter.
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Yes, many species of bamboo are cold hardy and evergreen throughout winter in the Seattle/ Puget Sound region, making bamboo an ideal choice for year-round privacy.
All varieties of Phyllostachys and Fargesia bamboo (among others) retain their green leaves well below freezing and endure maritime weather, frost and snow.
*Many varieties of bamboo will drop the newest leaves produced too late in the season. A peppering of yellow leaves is normal. Bamboo is generally maintenance free during the winter. Cutting the tops off any canes that droop in the rain will help keep them upright.
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It's not unusual for dogs and cats to nip and chew some bamboo leaves off the branch. Bamboo is a grass and likely triggers the same foraging instinct for digestive aid or curiosity. It is labeled non-toxic by the ASPCA and generally not an issue with pets.
Bamboo canes, while non-poisonous, are less than ideal chew toys as they shred and splinter into potential choke hazards. Bamboo can be shredded and used as supplemental fodder for pack animals.
Bamboo shoots are edible and have sugars that squirrels and rabbits can sniff out and eat.
Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana of the asparagus family), often confused with real bamboo, is in fact mildly poisonous to pets.
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Seattle’s mild, coastal climate is ideal for many hardy bamboo species that stay lush and green year-round. The best types of bamboo for privacy screening in terms hardiness, attractiveness and overall function are Phyllostachys (running bamboos) and Fargesia (clumping bamboos).
Phyllostachys is a running form and includes mid-size and timber varieties often conjured when one imagines bamboo. Ph. aurea and aureocaulis are among popular container varieties for dense screening. Taller varieties like Ph. vivax and dulcis are capable of screening out a three story house. Running bamboos require some foresight, planning and containment strategy before planting them.
Clumping bamboos can be a great option for dense, green privacy and/or unique feature plants. They have a different root system with gradual, predictable spread. Fargesia robusta, scabrida, jiuzhaigou and rufa are each attractive, hardy and popular options in descending order of uprightness and height.
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Running has a distinctly different root (rhizome) system than clumping bamboos. In short, running rhizomes have tendrilous, outward spreading rhizomes from which new canes emerge once a year. They usually require an installation of root barrier if planting in the ground to prevent unwanted spread.
Clumping bamboos expand in a cylindrical manner, creating a tight grove that stays in one place. The species that thrive in the Seattle area/Pacific Northwest (Fargesa, Brorinda, Chusquea, Yushania) form dense clumps of thin canes and create a dense screen.
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Generally, no, but they do prefer upwards to 8'+ of diameter to reach their full height and potential. A root barrier can be considered in tight spaces to line and/or protect property lines and sensitive locations. Enclosing clumping bamboo in root barrier is best avoided as it creates an compacted and difficult to extract grove. Clumping bamboos have a compact root system that produces a tight, cylindrical grove of canes. Most suitable varieties that thrive in the Seattle/Puget Sound region (esp. Fargesia and Borinda) are easy to manage with semi-annual cane pruning. A simple wooden garden box or raised mound can further help localize the grove. We're here to help you narrow down out and choose the best variety and talk about any containment concerns.
