ID Requests - Trip to Orlando & DisneyWorld

[iDesign]

On my recent trip to Disney World I was happy to realize I could identify a large percentage of the palms (unlike my trip several years ago). I tried not to hold my family up, but they did permit some picture-taking time in Animal Kingdom & Polynesian Resort ("Stacey looking at plants" was literally written on the schedule, lol).

These are my "Lost and Found" plants, which I was hoping to get some identification on. I'll keep them in separate posts to help with matching comments to plant.

---

Okay, first plant is a bamboo. An absolutely adorable clump I would love to add to my yard.
But is this "Buddha Belly"? If so, I assume would grow to be a monster and want to eat my house (right?).

[iDesign]

Next is a "cousin IT" plant that strongly resembles a common Ti, but had leaves from top to bottom.

I'm not sure if these are the exact same plant, but they looked similar. Would love to get an ID on both if they're different plants...

* In the second photo, I'm asking about the dark purple plant in the back, which may or may not be the same plant as in the first photo.

[iDesign]

This plant was used as a "filler" plant - especially at Typhoon Lagoon. I saw them crammed in crevices throughout the part...

But then I saw a GIANT one elsewhere in Orlando, and thought "Disney can't possibly want 100 of these at Typhoon Lagoon, right?"

Of course, it's a little tricky with Disney plants since they have budget to just remove plants when they get too large.

I guess my question is whether this "little guy" can indeed be used as a filler plant, or is a tree posing as a filler plant.

And of course curious what the name is. Probably a common plant (just new to me).

[iDesign]

Okay, on to Alocasia, Colocasia & Philodendrons!

First up is this stunning variegated one (climbing a tree)...

EDITED TO ADD: Would also love to know what the skinny palm behind it (to the left) is.

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And a smaller variegated one...

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Some crazy-tall ones...

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And some tiny "filler" ones (the tiny plants right behind the palm)...

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And some cool spikey ones (in a stunningly-beautiful arrangement)...

 

[iDesign]

See that pinkish plant at the bottom of the "Alocasia, Colocasia & Philodendrons" photo group? That was another of my mysteries.

I originally dismissed it as "blood leaf" (Iresine) - a plant I personally use for filler and is very popular in California for adding a splash of color. But these have differently-shaped leaves. Probably an incredibly common plant that I somehow missed, but I'd love an ID.

Or maybe it's more common in Florida in California due to our colder nights (i.e. Californians use Iresine and Floridians use this version)? Here's another photo of the pinkish plant I'm curious about...

(it's used as a "clump" in this photo, but was typically used as a "space filler" at the Disney parks.

[iDesign]

Is this Rhaphis Multifida... only spread into individual stalks? Or is it something different?

(there's that red "filler" plant again)

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Another possibility I'm debating is that the above two photos are of a plant OTHER than Rhapis Multifida, but this one is indeed Rhapis Multifida...

Thoughts? I actually own a very tall clump of Rhapis Multifida, and am debating planting the stalks individually, if that's what they did here. It's a cool look, resembling bamboo (when the stalks are separated).

[iDesign]

Okay another one for the "I should probably know what this is" category.

The train in Animal Kingdom took us to a spot that was FULL of a droopy, jungle-ey plant (palm?)...

They had crammed it into lots of small nooks - so I originally thought it was a mid-sized "filler" plant.

But then this one gave me pause...

Perhaps this is another case where Disney is cramming young versions of large trees into nooks & crannies, with the plan being to remove them later? Curious what the plant is anyway... gives such a "tropical" feel.

[iDesign]

Okay, last on my list are a couple palms...

Maybe Serenoa repens / saw palmetto? Oh, and if so, do most repens plants turn silver over time, or just a small percentage of them?

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And in this collection, is that a Licuala ramsayi poking out on the left?

And perhaps a Rhapis multifida behind it? A great arrangement, and fun to see (what I'm guessing is) a Licuala.

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Thanks all for any ID help! And hope you enjoy the photos (I have hundreds more, lol).

[Silas_Sancona]

23 minutes ago, iDesign said:

On my recent trip to Disney World I was happy to realize I could identify a large percentage of the palms (unlike my trip several years ago). I tried not to hold my family up, but they did permit some picture-taking time in Animal Kingdom & Polynesian Resort ("Stacey looking at plants" was literally written on the schedule, lol).

These are my "Lost and Found" plants, which I was hoping to get some identification on. I'll keep them in separate posts to help with matching comments to plant.

---

Okay, first plant is a bamboo. An absolutely adorable clump I would love to add to my yard.
But is this "Buddha Belly"? If so, I assume would grow to be a monster and want to eat my house (right?).

Dwf. Budda Belly Bamboo.. ( " Taller version would be 2-4X's as tall / have more space between the " knobs " along the canes. ) 

A clumper rather than a Bamboo that can spread quickly / without abandon.. 

..While i wouldn't plant within 10ft of a house,  it won't spread like fire, which is something " running " bamboo types can  do..
 

[iDesign]

Just now, Silas_Sancona said:

Dwf. Budda Belly Bamboo.. ( " Taller version would be 2-4X's as tall / have more space between the " knobs " along the canes. ) 

A clumper rather than a Bamboo that can spread quickly / without abandon.. 

..While i wouldn't plant within 10ft of a house,  it won't spread like fire, which is something " running " bamboo types can  do..
 

Thank you!!! Any idea how much taller this one is likely to get? Curious if it's a baby or adult.

[Silas_Sancona]

22 minutes ago, iDesign said:

This plant was used as a "filler" plant - especially at Typhoon Lagoon. I saw them crammed in crevices throughout the part...

But then I saw a GIANT one elsewhere in Orlando, and thought "Disney can't possibly want 100 of these at Typhoon Lagoon, right?"

Of course, it's a little tricky with Disney plants since they have budget to just remove plants when they get too large.

I guess my question is whether this "little guy" can indeed be used as a filler plant, or is a tree posing as a filler plant.

And of course curious what the name is. Probably a common plant (just new to me).

Sea Grape, Coccoloba uvifera..  While not exactly " common " outside FL.,   these grow / have been grown  just fine in San Diego  ( A few old threads on that subject somewhere around here ) 

Can be kept shorter, like in the first shot,  or allowed to get larger / more tree- like.. 


The biggest drawback with these, is  ..if you see 3-5 days of temps below 32F, they can drop most / all leaves..  Won't kill the plants / will leaf out as it warms up again, but  ..Helped maintain a Yacht Club in Clearwater  and yes,  ..ohh yes,  lol..   cleaning up all the leaves that came off these after the last big cold spell there was quite a job. 

Specimen or two in a landscape is different than  ..200.. ( were planted extensively on the property ).  though.


Aside from that fault,  ..these are great plants.  Fruit are edible as well.

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, iDesign said:

Thank you!!! Any idea how much taller this one is likely to get? Curious if it's a baby or adult.

Less spacing between the bulges along the canes means this particular form of Budda Belly will stay on the shorter side ..~approx~ under 15-20Ft. 

To me, this looks more mature than a younger specimen..


Larger form can exceed 20-30ft.  Not sure how true this is but some growers had mentioned that the taller version might not produce bulges that are as pronounced as the dwarf in CA.. Seemed suspect tome, but,  ..I might talk with some bamboo growers out there to get their thoughts on that subject.

Compared to the bigger version,  Dwarf B.B. can be grown in large pots as well ( and looks really nice ) ..

Here's one article describing some differences between the large / standard,  and shorter  / more compact dwarf version, and a " golden " version of this bamboo..
https://bambooplantsonline.com/blogs/blog/51027396-what-are-the-types-of-buddha-belly-bamboo

[Silas_Sancona]

55 minutes ago, iDesign said:

Next is a "cousin IT" plant that strongly resembles a common Ti, but had leaves from top to bottom.

I'm not sure if these are the exact same plant, but they looked similar. Would love to get an ID on both if they're different plants...

* In the second photo, I'm asking about the dark purple plant in the back, which may or may not be the same plant as in the first photo.

 Thinking shot #1 is a type of Annual, Ornamental, Purple- leaved Millet ( Grass )

2nd might be as well ..That or a larger form of Purple Fountain Grass, something like Pennisetum " purpureum "..  Despite what a nursery might say, all forms of Fountain Grass can produce seed.. Which can spread  -everywhere- 

W/ the Millet, you can remove the seed heads to keep it from volunteering. ( Same Genus as Purple Fountaingrass, so -if allowed to- these can spread around a bit too )  Thinking they are also used in floral arrangements.

 

[iDesign]

11 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

 Thinking shot #1 is a type of Annual, Ornamental, Purple- leaved Millet ( Grass )

2nd might be as well ..That or a larger form of Purple Fountain Grass, something like Pennisetum " purpureum "..  Despite what a nursery might say, all forms of Fountain Grass can produce seed.. Which can spread  -everywhere- 

W/ the Millet, you can remove the seed heads to keep it from volunteering. ( Same Genus as Purple Fountaingrass, so -if allowed to- these can spread around a bit too )  Thinking they are also used in floral arrangements.

 

Thanks! You've been so helpful. These ones are a bit on the "grassy" side for my taste, but I love the idea of adding a mid-height purple filler plant to my yard. Any recommendations for an alternative? Ideal would be a dark purple or near-black mid to tall-height plant that would add a nice color contrast between my green plants. Currently I have some dark purple Ti's that fill that need, but would be nice to add a more "bushy" mid to tall-height purple/black plant.

[Silas_Sancona]

46 minutes ago, iDesign said:

Okay another one for the "I should probably know what this is" category.

The train in Animal Kingdom took us to a spot that was FULL of a droopy, jungle-ey plant (palm?)...

They had crammed it into lots of small nooks - so I originally thought it was a mid-sized "filler" plant.

But then this one gave me pause...

Perhaps this is another case where Disney is cramming young versions of large trees into nooks & crannies, with the plan being to remove them later? Curious what the plant is anyway... gives such a "tropical" feel.

" Standard "  form of Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra elator.. 

Shouldn't be too hard to find out there..  Tough, Lush and always looks good, esp. w/ reasonable water,  ..but will survive on a bit less..

Not super fast, but a steady grower / spreader.  Not aggressive / invasive.

" Milky Way ",  and " Variegata " < several really nice forms >  are good options for adding some color ( other than just green ) for really shady spots.

Flowers are produced near the ground and have a weird look when examined up -close.

[iDesign]

8 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

" Standard "  form of Cast Iron Plant, Aspidistra elator.. 

Shouldn't be too hard to find out there..  Tough, Lush and always looks good, esp. w/ reasonable water,  ..but will survive on a bit less..

Not super fast, but a steady grower / spreader.  Not aggressive / invasive.

" Milky Way ",  and " Variegata " < several really nice forms >  are good options for adding some color ( other than just green ) for really shady spots.

Flowers are produced near the ground and have a weird look when examined up -close.

Oops - sorry, I was talking about the large plant behind the cast iron plants (I do own both the regular and variegated forms of cast iron plant, and love them).

My question was whether the large plant in the middle is the same plant as the smaller plants right above it. I could include a few of the smaller versions in my yard, but this larger one gives me pause.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, iDesign said:

See that pinkish plant at the bottom of the "Alocasia, Colocasia & Philodendrons" photo group? That was another of my mysteries.

I originally dismissed it as "blood leaf" (Iresine) - a plant I personally use for filler and is very popular in California for adding a splash of color. But these have differently-shaped leaves. Probably an incredibly common plant that I somehow missed, but I'd love an ID.

Or maybe it's more common in Florida in California due to our colder nights (i.e. Californians use Iresine and Floridians use this version)? Here's another photo of the pinkish plant I'm curious about...

(it's used as a "clump" in this photo, but was typically used as a "space filler" at the Disney parks.

Copperleaf,  Acalypha wilkisiana..  Darker Red  / Purple-ish leaved forms could work as a taller " filler "  instead of the Grasses, if the look is of interest..

Can get pretty tall ( and wide )  but in FL, from what i remember, people would give 'em a haircut every so often to keep them shorter/  keep brighter colored new growth coming along..

Might not be the easiest plant to find out there though Kartuz Greenhouses grows / sells starter plants ..Are listed in their catalog at least..

Biggest weakness is sensitivity to cold.  Anything below 32F and they'll get cut to the ground. 

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, iDesign said:

Oops - sorry, I was talking about the large plant behind the cast iron plants (I do own both the regular and variegated forms of cast iron plant, and love them).

My question was whether the large plant in the middle is the same plant as the smaller plants right above it. I could include a few of the smaller versions in my yard, but this larger one gives me pause.

  No worries.

@Merlyn / others can confirm,  but thinking the palm behind the Cast Iron patch is a clump  Livistona chinensis  stretched out a bit since they're growing in a good amount of shade..

Yep, Thinking the palms in the shot above are also shade stretched Chinese Fans. 

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, iDesign said:

On my recent trip to Disney World I was happy to realize I could identify a large percentage of the palms (unlike my trip several years ago). I tried not to hold my family up, but they did permit some picture-taking time in Animal Kingdom & Polynesian Resort ("Stacey looking at plants" was literally written on the schedule, lol).

These are my "Lost and Found" plants, which I was hoping to get some identification on. I'll keep them in separate posts to help with matching comments to plant.

---

Okay, first plant is a bamboo. An absolutely adorable clump I would love to add to my yard.
But is this "Buddha Belly"? If so, I assume would grow to be a monster and want to eat my house (right?).

Yes, though there are two species with "Buddha Belly" in the name:

• Bambusa Vulgaris Wamin "Buddha Belly" is the one in the photo, sometimes called "Dwarf Buddha Belly."  It's tropical, good down to around freezing, and grows to around 20' tall maximum with 3" diameter culms.  I have two clusters, one of the regular green and the other Striata. 
• Bambusa Ventricosa "Buddha Belly" sometimes called "Giant Buddha Belly."  It's a true beast at 40-60' tall and 2-3" diameter culms.  It's cold hardy to 18F but doesn't "belly" in swampy Floriduh.  I don't have this one.  Don't mix it up with Wamin!

There's another type called Bambusa Tuldoides "Swollen Internode."  I have one clump in a sandy dry-ish area that bellied pretty well, but not as good as Wamin.  The other half of the division is in a low area that gets flooded in heavy rains, and it reverted to the "regular" Tuldoides growing towards 45' tall and 2.5" culms. 

I planted this Wamin Striata in February 2020 from a single culm purchase from Tropical Bamboo.  It's very controllable because it is not a rapid grower in height or number of culms.  It's about 12' or so tall now with a couple of 15' ones sticking out of the center:

And the new culms are growing funkified as expected:

[Merlyn]

3 hours ago, iDesign said:

Okay another one for the "I should probably know what this is" category.

The train in Animal Kingdom took us to a spot that was FULL of a droopy, jungle-ey plant (palm?)...

They had crammed it into lots of small nooks - so I originally thought it was a mid-sized "filler" plant.

But then this one gave me pause...

Perhaps this is another case where Disney is cramming young versions of large trees into nooks & crannies, with the plan being to remove them later? Curious what the plant is anyway... gives such a "tropical" feel.

@Silas_Sancona is right, those look like massively clustered Chinensis.  In deep shade in FL they grow comically huge petioles.  There's some planted in deep oak forest near me that have 15 foot long petioles with 3 foot diameter fans.  Eventually they'll overcompete each other and a bunch will die out, but it looks really neat anyway!  There's a somewhat smaller non-palm Carludovica Palmata "Panama Hat Palm" that looks very similar, but I think it's a >40F plant.

[Looking Glass]

3 hours ago, iDesign said:

Okay, on to Alocasia, Colocasia & Philodendrons!

First up is this stunning variegated one (climbing a tree)...

I think this is what happens to regular pothos when turned loose in warm environments.  Once in the trees, it gets huge.   Sometimes near the ground, it still looks like an office plant. 

[Merlyn]

4 hours ago, iDesign said:

This plant was used as a "filler" plant - especially at Typhoon Lagoon. I saw them crammed in crevices throughout the part...

But then I saw a GIANT one elsewhere in Orlando, and thought "Disney can't possibly want 100 of these at Typhoon Lagoon, right?"

Of course, it's a little tricky with Disney plants since they have budget to just remove plants when they get too large.

I guess my question is whether this "little guy" can indeed be used as a filler plant, or is a tree posing as a filler plant.

And of course curious what the name is. Probably a common plant (just new to me).

I have a few "Seagrapes" that I use for small filler/short hedges.  They aren't totally hardy here, freezing to the ground at about 28F and defoliating in the lower 30s.  This keeps them in check so they haven't tried to become 30' tall trees here...yet!  The nice thing about them is that you can cut them off at the ground and they'll grow right back.  The bad thing is that if you cut them off at the ground...they'll grow right back!    They have fairly invasive roots and are known to lift sidewalks in South FL.  But if you want a small-to-large very tropical-looking shrub it's a great choice.  And if you decide it's growing too much in one direction, just hack it to pieces and "train" it to go a different way.

[Looking Glass]

1 minute ago, Merlyn said:

I have a few "Seagrapes" that I use for small filler/short hedges.  They aren't totally hardy here, freezing to the ground at about 28F and defoliating in the lower 30s.  This keeps them in check so they haven't tried to become 30' tall trees here...yet!  The nice thing about them is that you can cut them off at the ground and they'll grow right back.  The bad thing is that if you cut them off at the ground...they'll grow right back!    They have fairly invasive roots and are known to lift sidewalks in South FL.  But if you want a small-to-large very tropical-looking shrub it's a great choice.  And if you decide it's growing too much in one direction, just hack it to pieces and "train" it to go a different way.

These form huge trees down this way, if left to their own devices.  Very hardy to drought and salt.  Grow in dry sand with no irrigation.  

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, iDesign said:

Thanks! You've been so helpful. These ones are a bit on the "grassy" side for my taste, but I love the idea of adding a mid-height purple filler plant to my yard. Any recommendations for an alternative? Ideal would be a dark purple or near-black mid to tall-height plant that would add a nice color contrast between my green plants. Currently I have some dark purple Ti's that fill that need, but would be nice to add a more "bushy" mid to tall-height purple/black plant.

I'd consider Queen Emma Crinum Lily.  It's a vibrant purple and can grow 6' tall or more.  I use it for color filler, unfortunately the Eastern Lubbers consider it a tasty snack.  Thus it never looks all that great with gigantic holes and entire leaves removed.  It is noninvasive as far as I can tell, and easy to separate pups to make new plants.

[Looking Glass]

3 hours ago, iDesign said:

Okay, last on my list are a couple palms...

Maybe Serenoa repens / saw palmetto? Oh, and if so, do most repens plants turn silver over time

Thanks all for any ID help! And hope you enjoy the photos (I have hundreds more, lol).

They range from a green form that is very different looking, to this type, which varies from greenish, to bluish, to bright silvery white, and everything in between.  Like many silver palms, they vary considerably in hue, based in genetics.  

This weed infested baby out front is very white.  

 

These 2.5 year old sprouted seeds look like they will be more greenish.  Though they are starting to show a little powder.  

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

I'd consider Queen Emma Crinum Lily.  It's a vibrant purple and can grow 6' tall or more.  I use it for color filler, unfortunately the Eastern Lubbers consider it a tasty snack.  Thus it never looks all that great with gigantic holes and entire leaves removed.  It is noninvasive as far as I can tell, and easy to separate pups to make new plants.

Agree, that's another good option.  Safe from the Lubbers in San D. as well.

[iDesign]

4 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

I think this is what happens to regular pothos when turned loose in warm environments.  Once in the trees, it gets huge.   Sometimes near the ground, it still looks like an office plant.  I also notice 

Wow, I had no idea "giant pothos" existed, but it looks like you're correct! Just found another photo of it from a different angle, and it looks like a match indeed. Unfortunately it sounds like the minimum temperature is higher than we get here at night. Unless you disagree? (I'm reading minimum temp is 50F, and my yard gets down to low 40's, sometimes lower).

* I also notice a variety of Heliconia that I recall did so well for you that it became invasive.  Looks amazing here though (as does the Giant Alcantarea Imperialis). I love Disney's style of landscaping (with tons of variety and color).

[iDesign]

5 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Yes, though there are two species with "Buddha Belly" in the name:

• Bambusa Vulgaris Wamin "Buddha Belly" is the one in the photo, sometimes called "Dwarf Buddha Belly."  It's tropical, good down to around freezing, and grows to around 20' tall maximum with 3" diameter culms.  I have two clusters, one of the regular green and the other Striata. 
• Bambusa Ventricosa "Buddha Belly" sometimes called "Giant Buddha Belly."  It's a true beast at 40-60' tall and 2-3" diameter culms.  It's cold hardy to 18F but doesn't "belly" in swampy Floriduh.  I don't have this one.  Don't mix it up with Wamin!

There's another type called Bambusa Tuldoides "Swollen Internode."  I have one clump in a sandy dry-ish area that bellied pretty well, but not as good as Wamin.  The other half of the division is in a low area that gets flooded in heavy rains, and it reverted to the "regular" Tuldoides growing towards 45' tall and 2.5" culms. 

I planted this Wamin Striata in February 2020 from a single culm purchase from Tropical Bamboo.  It's very controllable because it is not a rapid grower in height or number of culms.  It's about 12' or so tall now with a couple of 15' ones sticking out of the center:

And the new culms are growing funkified as expected:

Yeah, I totally need a DWARF "Buddha Belly" now. Thanks for giving my research a huge boost! I've shied away from bamboo generally, but do have a "Bambusa Lako Timor" in a large pot (growing fast!) - and this one seems like a great addition as well.

While I've got you (talking about bamboo)... how bad would it be for me to put a clump of the Lako Timor in the shade? I want to split my clump in two and put one in the sun, but another spot is in the shade... although it would grow up into the sun eventually. Possible? Or would the lack of sun (while young) likely kill it?

And I assume Buddha Belly is a sun lover as well, right?

[iDesign]

@Silas_Sancona, @Merlyn & @Looking Glass - I just wanted to say you guys totally ROCK!!!  🎸 🎶

Within a few hours I had IDs, confirmation, tips and alternatives to consider for nearly ALL of the plants on my long list.  Palmtalk (and its amazing members) are the absolute best way to learn about tropical gardening (even beyond palms). Thanks again for all the help. ❤️

[Merlyn]

26 minutes ago, iDesign said:

Yeah, I totally need a DWARF "Buddha Belly" now. Thanks for giving my research a huge boost! I've shied away from bamboo generally, but do have a "Bambusa Lako Timor" in a large pot (growing fast!) - and this one seems like a great addition as well.

While I've got you (talking about bamboo)... how bad would it be for me to put a clump of the Lako Timor in the shade? I want to split my clump in two and put one in the sun, but another spot is in the shade... although it would grow up into the sun eventually. Possible? Or would the lack of sun (while young) likely kill it?

And I assume Buddha Belly is a sun lover as well, right?

Most boos are sun lovers, though I think they will grow in part shade.  I have several boos in either AM sun/PM shade, or the reverse.  They are all growing fine.  I haven't tried full shade myself.  I had Lako here for a while, but it was getting too big too fast...and also not frost hardy.  I migrated back to small boos, generally 20ft or less and under 1in diameter if possible.  They are much easier to prune and control.  BUT...I am absolutely keeping both the Wamin and Wamin Striata!  A couple of thoughts:

• Boos divide super easy, if you have at least 2 canes just slice the pot in half between them.  I chopped a cluster of maybe 20-30ish culms of Asian Lemon into at least 10 separate divisions.  A couple died, but most lived.
• There's no harm in trying Lako in shade...if it lives it lives.  Keep in mind they need sun to turn black, so in shade it will probably be mostly green culms.
• Wamin is a normal deep green culm.  Wamin Striata is mostly lime or light green color with occasional dark green stripes.  The leaves are the same.  If you get one, just pick based on the preferred culm color.

[Merlyn]

The giant pothos grows randomly around here, my neighbor has some growing up an oak.  It gets torched in the mid 30s and especially with frost, but always grow back.  I am not sure, but I don't recall any damage above 40.

Regarding the Licuala, I think Ramsayi would be more "whole" leaves at that height.  Maybe Distans, Ferruginea, but my best guess is Peltata v. Peltata, i.e. the not whole leaf one.  I have a small one, but it hasn't been doing all that great.  https://palmpedia.net/wiki/Licuala_peltata_var._peltata

Edit: on second look at the Palmpedia photos, Ramsayi seems reasonable.

[Keys6505]

7 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Yes, though there are two species with "Buddha Belly" in the name:

• Bambusa Vulgaris Wamin "Buddha Belly" is the one in the photo, sometimes called "Dwarf Buddha Belly."  It's tropical, good down to around freezing, and grows to around 20' tall maximum with 3" diameter culms.  I have two clusters, one of the regular green and the other Striata. 
• Bambusa Ventricosa "Buddha Belly" sometimes called "Giant Buddha Belly."  It's a true beast at 40-60' tall and 2-3" diameter culms.  It's cold hardy to 18F but doesn't "belly" in swampy Floriduh.  I don't have this one.  Don't mix it up with Wamin!

There's another type called Bambusa Tuldoides "Swollen Internode."  I have one clump in a sandy dry-ish area that bellied pretty well, but not as good as Wamin.  The other half of the division is in a low area that gets flooded in heavy rains, and it reverted to the "regular" Tuldoides growing towards 45' tall and 2.5" culms. 

I planted this Wamin Striata in February 2020 from a single culm purchase from Tropical Bamboo.  It's very controllable because it is not a rapid grower in height or number of culms.  It's about 12' or so tall now with a couple of 15' ones sticking out of the center:

And the new culms are growing funkified as expected:

How do you think these would do in Houston?  Dead or restart from the ground after the bad winters?  If they'll regrow what's the growth rate?

[Merlyn]

21 minutes ago, Keys6505 said:

How do you think these would do in Houston?  Dead or restart from the ground after the bad winters?  If they'll regrow what's the growth rate?

Mine have had severe burn from frost several times.  They burnt to the ground at about 25F with frost, and regrew slowly.  I don't know Houston lows, but if you get repeated 20s in a year they might not grow back.  If it is just top burn in the upper 20s they lose most of the leaves, but grow them back by mid spring.

[Silas_Sancona]

49 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

The giant pothos grows randomly around here, my neighbor has some growing up an oak.  It gets torched in the mid 30s and especially with frost, but always grow back.  I am not sure, but I don't recall any damage above 40.

It's a tough plant..  I remember some that grew up through an oak on the property where i worked at the time return from getting toasted in the 09-10 cold event in Largo..

At the same time   ( ..and much to my surprise )  you could see it growing up through trees in the background  in a couple spots i looked over while street view touring in Hermosillo ( Sonora, Mexico )  Hermosillo's  climate is very similar to Phoenix, except that it is close enough to the Gulf of CA  to enjoy more humidity at times than we do..  About as hot and dry as we can get in summer / winters just a touch milder, very occasional frost threats, but similar otherwise..   Not a place i'd expected to see large, climbing Pothos  -at -all.  I'll have to find the locations again.

[Looking Glass]

3 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

How do you think these would do in Houston?  Dead or restart from the ground after the bad winters?  If they'll regrow what's the growth rate?

Rabbit holing here…. But here’s a great explanation about the lowly pothos office plant = the giant outdoor vine that gets 2 inches in diameter and 50 feet long.  There really is no separate “giant pothos”. It’s just the true adult form of the juvenile desk plant.  

Try it as a cheap experiment.  It can get invasive and aggressive in tropical areas, so you might welcome the freeze to control it   

It’s like when little office plants from up north are used as hedgerows, big shrubs, and small trees around here.  

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Epipremnum aureum pc.html

https://www.ohiotropics.com/2022/11/21/pothos-in-the-wild/

 

It certainly lives up to “Devil’s Ivy” for some.  

[SeanK]

17 hours ago, iDesign said:

Okay another one for the "I should probably know what this is" category.

The train in Animal Kingdom took us to a spot that was FULL of a droopy, jungle-ey plant (palm?)...

They had crammed it into lots of small nooks - so I originally thought it was a mid-sized "filler" plant.

But then this one gave me pause...

Perhaps this is another case where Disney is cramming young versions of large trees into nooks & crannies, with the plan being to remove them later? Curious what the plant is anyway... gives such a "tropical" feel.

Looks like L.chinensis with #2 has Aspidistra

[SeanK]

Here in Atlanta, the contract landscapers for upscale apts and gated communities use potted plants a lot. So you'll see a dozen Alocasias all the same size in the summer, replaced by Yucca filamentosa in the fall. Then some cheap, disposable flowers for a couple weeks in the winter. The big players must have large greenhouses to rotate stock through multiple clients.

[iDesign]

2 hours ago, SeanK said:

Here in Atlanta, the contract landscapers for upscale apts and gated communities use potted plants a lot. So you'll see a dozen Alocasias all the same size in the summer, replaced by Yucca filamentosa in the fall. Then some cheap, disposable flowers for a couple weeks in the winter. The big players must have large greenhouses to rotate stock through multiple clients.

Years ago I asked at the Tiki Room (Disneyland) how the guzmania bromeliads stayed so perfect (they normally only bloom a short time). The worker pointed out that they were in pots. He said “The kids pick at them during the day, and someone swaps them out overnight.” Since then, I’ve viewed Disney landscaping with a suspicious eye. 🤔

[RainforestCafe]

23 hours ago, iDesign said:

I guess my question is whether this "little guy" can indeed be used as a filler plant, or is a tree posing as a filler plant.

I think you already got an answer for this one, but I have some experience with these guys (sea grapes), and the answer is "both".

Left to their own devices, they get HUGE! Here in Bradenton they're native, and I've seen them as large trees, ~50 feet tall and wide, with thick trunks and roots. But I also have two planted at my house that I keep trimmed as small trees rather than bushes, almost like bonsais, around 6' tall because they can make some really cool trunk shapes. I think that's where sea grapes really shine! So you can go either way with them, but if it's warm enough and you don't manage them, they will definitely turn into a large tree.

I think they look really cool when they're managed as little specimen trees with interesting trunk shapes like this:

 

 

[iDesign]

8 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

I think you already got an answer for this one, but I have some experience with these guys (sea grapes), and the answer is "both".

Left to their own devices, they get HUGE! Here in Bradenton they're native, and I've seen them as large trees, ~50 feet tall and wide, with thick trunks and roots. But I also have two planted at my house that I keep trimmed as small trees rather than bushes, almost like bonsais, around 6' tall because they can make some really cool trunk shapes. I think that's where sea grapes really shine! So you can go either way with them, but if it's warm enough and you don't manage them, they will definitely turn into a large tree.

I think they look really cool when they're managed as little specimen trees with interesting trunk shapes like this:

 

 

Cool! Those do look like bonsais... or people more fit than me doing yoga.