UGA Cooperative Extension

Bamboo Farm & Coastal Gardens: Walking Tour

The historic plant collections at this facility began more than 100 years ago when Mrs. H. B. Miller planted three clumps of giant timber bamboo, obtained from the rice-growing plantation known as Vallambrosa, located on the Ogeechee River. USDA plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild saw the warm climate and fertile soils of Savannah as an ideal spot for a plant introduction station, and in 1919 Barbour Lathrop, friend of Dr. Fairchild and a supporter of U.S. plant exploration, purchased the 46 farm that included the bamboo grove. Now we’re part of the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension.

This walking tour will get you started exploring the many fascinating things to see on the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens property. Feel free to walk anywhere except in our work and storage areas.

1. Cottage Garden Georgia Gold Medal Plants are featured here in addition to many colorful, low-care ornamental plants. The large tree that provides shade is Quercus acutissima, Sawtooth Oak. It is one of the largest specimens in the area. Old garden roses and other cottage-garden type plants are planted around the old Superintendent’s Cottage. Other unusual plants include the pair of orange-flowered tea olives flanking the entry. The Cottage Garden is often used for weddings and receptions.

2. Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) This planting of the Asian or Sacred Lotus demonstrates that these extraordinary plants are hardy and easy to grow. Lotus grow in mud and spread by runners. The roots must be covered by water at all times. The plants grow as much as 8 feet tall. Flowers open in the morning for five days. A seed pod forms which is filled with dark, round marble-sized seeds. There are two varieties of lotus, the Asian Lotus and the American Lotus, or Nelumbo lutea.

3. Ornamental Planting Beds The plantings in this pair of beds changes from time to time. Currently on display are lotus planted in tubs as a garden feature. You can have this beautiful aquatic plant even if you don’t have a water garden! It also include banana plants, hardy in this area, for a distinctly tropical appearance. ‘Blue Sue’ Setcreasea and the common purple Setcreasea sprawl beneath the bananas.

4. Pollination Garden This display garden, constructed by volunteers, demonstrates the fascinating and varied process of pollination. Essential for the production of fruits and seeds, pollination is critical for food production. Bees and wasps, butterflies and moths, insects and mammals can be pollinators. Sometimes called the butterfly garden, this garden is also used in our Roots and Shoots program for school groups.

5. The Weather Station For 70 years, weather data was recorded on this site using weather boxes and rain gauges similar to these. (The old weather station is behind you and to the right.) Each day, minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded, thermometers were reset, and rain gauges were checked and emptied. All measurements were recorded in a logbook. This modern weather station gathers date every 15 minutes and transmits it to a computer in Griffin, GA. See current weather data for this site at www.georgiaweather.net.

6. Crapemyrtle Collection (Lagerstroemia) This collection of crapemyrtles displays the variety of colors, forms and sizes available to gardeners in coastal Georgia. Flower color ranges from white to red to purple to pale pink. Some varieties are spreading while others are upright in growth habit. Many have smooth, sinuous trunks or peeling bark. Crapemyrtles were introduced to the US from Japan in 1747; the earliest examples grew in Charleston, SC. Many of the plants here are US National Arboretum introductions from the 1970’s and 80’s.

7. Pick-your-Own Blackberries Food doesn’t get much more local this this. The variety is ‘Kiowa’, a thorny-type blackberry that produces very large, flavorful berries. Planted in 2005 from tissue cultured plants, this field has just come into production this year (2007). No pesticides are used. We also have pick-your-own strawberries that ripen in April and May.

8. Plant Research/Trials Rubber from goldenrod plants? Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone carried out that research project here at BFCG. Unfortunately, it did not prove successful. Yucca was screened as a source of fiber, paper was made from bamboo, several plants were screened for anti-cancer properties and water chestnut farming was explored. More current research has involved ornamental plants, turfgrass, citrus and bananas. The unusual plant growing on the posts and trellis is called Dragonfruit, a variety of tropical cactus that produces a large edible fruit.

9. Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) The state tree of Georgia, live oaks are possibly the most striking trees in coastal Georgia. They are low, spreading trees with a limb span that often doubles tree height. A climax species of the coastal woodlands, individual trees may live for 200-300 years. Live oaks are known for their exceedingly strong and heavy wood, and early forests were harvested by the British navy for building warships.

10. Holly (Ilex rotunda) This tree was grown from a seed sent from China to the Savannah USDA Station in 1938. Also known as Lord’s holly, this tree became popular in Florida during the 1950's but has since lost favor due to its susceptibility to low temperatures. Clusters of small, bright red berries almost cover the tree. In the winter months, fruiting trees are a breathtaking sight in the late afternoon light.

11. Chinese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata) This vase-shaped tree grows to a maximum height of 55 feet and a spread of 30 feet. Mature trees exhibit grey, orange and brown exfoliating bark similar to that of lacebark elm. Fall leaf color is an attractive red-purple. The Zelkova makes an excellent shade or street tree that is tolerant of urban stress.

12. Lacebark Elm (Ulmus parvifolia) Although common in today’s landscape, the lacebark elm was virtually unknown in commerce twenty years ago. These two trees were brought to the facility in the 1930's. One look at the bark and you will know why it is called “lacebark”. This is a tough, durable tree that withstands urban stress.

13. Barbour Lathrop Bamboo Collection This collection is the result of the USDA’s effort to introduce to the public, particularly southern farmers, the many uses of bamboo. The collection began in 1902, when Barbour Lathrop asked Dr. David Fairchild to obtain plants for him in Japan. Organized collecting began in earnest in 1906 by Frank Meyer, a USDA plant explorer, and continued with Dr. F.A. McClure until 1945. With over 150 species, this is the largest collection of bamboo available for public viewing in the United States.

14. Daylily Collection (Hemerocallis) This garden was planted and is maintained by the local Hemerocallis Society. This showy, and easy-to-grow perennial has a color range that includes white, yellow, orange, pink, coral, red, lavender and purple. Many varieties have multi-colored blooms. The best-month to see blooms is May.

15. Florida Maple (Acer barbatum) Although well-adapted to our area, the Florida Maple, a southern type of sugar maple, has been unfairly neglected by landscapers in the coastal South. Like other sugar maples, it has exceptional fall color, which ranges from yellow to red. The Florida Maple grows at a moderate rate and attains a mature height of 35 to 40 feet. This tree is a good choice for smaller gardens.

16. China Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolota) Imported from China in 1804, this tree has long been used as a landscape specimen in the South. Attaining a mature height of 75 feet, China Fir is fairly handsome in its youth, but becomes ragged with age since dead, brown needles cling to the branches. The wood of is highly prized in China, where it is used for building furniture, ships and coffins.

17. Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) Native to the southern United States, the southern magnolia, or bull bay, was brought into cultivation in 1734. It develops into very a large tree that needs plenty of room in the landscape. Large, fragrant white flowers appear in May –June and are followed by distinctive seed pods showing exposed, red seeds. The leaves are evergreen but a few are being replaced all the time.

19. Thomasville Citrangequat (Poncirus trifoliata x Citrus sinensis x Fortunella spp.) This small tree is a complex hybrid between the deciduous trifoliate orange, the common sweet orange and the kumquat. The fruit, which has an edible peel, is acidic like a kumquat and can be used like lemons and limes. White, very fragrant flowers are produced in late winter, and fruits ripen 9-12 months later.

20. Formosan Sweetgum (Liquidambar formosana) This large, deciduous shade tree is similar in many respects to the native sweetgum, but its leaves are 3-lobed rather than 5 to 7-lobed. Fall yellow-to-gold leaf color is one of its best ornamental features. Formosan sweetgum also produces fewer gumball-like fruits than the native species, resulting in less tree litter. With a maximum height and spread of 50 feet, this is truly a tree for large areas.

21. Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) Until rediscovered in China in 1941, this deciduous conifer, was known only through fossil records. It is estimated to be little changed in 50 million years. Dawn redwoods are excellent landscape plants and are similar in overall appearance to the native bald cypress. They grow best in full sun and moist soil. Their light, airy foliage allows sufficient sunlight to pass through the canopy for grass and other plants to grow underneath. Leaves turn a russet-red in autumn before falling.

22. Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) This medium-size, deciduous tree is related to the nut-bearing pistachio tree (Pistacia vera), which is not consistently hardy in Georgia. Growing to a maximum height of 40 feet, Chinese Pistache is a pest- free, adaptable ornamental for all of Georgia. Fall leaf color ranges from clear yellow to spectacular crimson red and is reliable even in the deep South.

23. Oliver Maple (Acer oliverianum ssp. formosanum) Easily mistaken for Japanese maple, this small, attractive species makes an excellent addition to gardens with limited space. Oliver maple is extremely useful as a specimen plant or
as a patio tree, with delicate leaves that turn an attractive yellow or red in the autumn.

24. Xeriscape Garden Water conservation is increasingly critical for gardeners in coastal Georgia. This garden demonstrates several of the principles of gardening for efficient water use, known as “xeriscaping,” The beauty of Xeriscape is that is not only saves water but also saves time, energy and money. Help yourself to a brochure, Resourceful Landscaping, in the mailbox. The large hollies that screen the parking area are the variety ‘Nellie R. Stevens’. Note the three large Cabbage Palms (Sabal palmetto), the state tree of South Carolina and native to the southeast coastal region.

25. Giant Timber Bamboo (Phyllostachys bambusoides) This is the most widely utilized bamboo in Japan where it is valued for its large, straight, thick-walled culms. It is used for everything from arts and crafts to construction, as well as for food. In its native habitat, Giant Timber Bamboo can grow up to 100 feet tall and have culms up to 6 inches in diameter. This grove is believed to be a part of the original grove planted here n 1890.

26. Trail of Camellia Species This garden is a repository for 65 species of the genus Camellia. Some of these species are very rare or are no longer available from their native range in China. These bloom primarily in fall and winter. The garden was constructed and funded by the Southeastern Camellia Society with a grant from Friends of Coastal Gardens that built the bridges and walks.

27. Dwarf Palmetto Collection The Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society funded this collection in order to evaluate the different varieties of the Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) for their usefulness as landscape plants in the southeast. Dwarf Palmetto is the most wide-ranging palm species in the US. There are a number of regional variants ranging from those with trunks in Louisiana to apparently true genetic dwarfs in the panhandle of Florida.

28. Rose Garden Summer heat and humidity make roses a challenge to grow in the coastal south. The four varieties of roses growing here have been chosen by local rosarians as varieties that perform well in the local climate and are fairly resistant to insects and disease. One of the varieties being grown is called Knockout, a popular rose that is favored by commercial landscapers and home gardeners.