- Definitely worth a visit. $10 fee to look around. They have nice tables where you can picnic. - There is a Rapunzel tower on one of the pathways that is enchanting. - Grab some complimentary koi food; you can feed the one koi fish; It hangs out right underneath the waterfall; it likes the waterfall massage. - There is a really nice pond / waterfall / tiki hut / moon gate. - Great looking bamboo. Check out the "black bamboo", which looks very cool. - Just a heads-up: Bamboo grows super fast, like a grass, because it is a grass. It's often a good idea to add a box planter of bamboo to your yard instead of planting the bamboo directly in the ground. read more

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Surprised to find out there was a $15 adult admission fee, this is a nursery not park. Well, since we were already there, we decided to go in and explore. The bamboo paths and short walking trails were pleasant and it's a peaceful vibe. However, the koi pond was poorly maintained, there were no koi and covered with some kind of water weeds, which was disappointing. Overall, if an admission fee is being charged for a nursery, it would be upkeep better to make the visit feel more worthwhile. read more

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We unfortunately came at a time when the weather wasn't as greatest, and they were having some issues with their pond, but nonetheless it was an amazing experience. The paths are short, but there's so much to see and if you're into biology you'd definitely have a field day here. My friends and I came to this nursery feeling stressed and overwhelmed, and we left feeling calmed and wishing we'd could experience it all again. Everything they have to offer is great, and a 10 dollar fee is such a steal. The workers here are also super nice and knowledgeable about everything. 10/10 would recommend, and would come again! read more

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This place is one of the hidden gems in this area, it was very beautiful full of different bamboo with signs to learn about it. The ponds were beautiful, and the owners were very generous and kind. Definitely recommend! read more

How I only discovered that this magical place existed a few months ago is beyond me, but I'm so glad I found out about it! Talk about a hidden gem, Bamboo Giant is tucked away in the Aptos Hills just 15 min or so from Santa Cruz. My hubby and I visited recently on a Tuesday morning with coffees in hand to walk around the incredible bamboo groves and gardens. They welcome visitors here to hike/stroll around the property, and even have picnic tables if you want to enjoy a peaceful picnic in a truly tranquil setting immersed in nature. We easily spent just over an hour here checking out all of the different types of bamboo they grow, and simply enjoying the natural setting. It reminded me of a couple of places I'd been to and hiked back when I lived in Hawaii! I recommend visitors to pop into the office adjacent to the parking lot. There you can pick up a map of the property and tons of information about bamboo (whether you're shopping for some or just want to learn about them). Amy & Leah were very welcoming and helpful! Bamboo Giant is family-owned and run, and don't charge for admission, but you can donate to help with the upkeep of the nursery & gardens (there is a donation box in the office). You can even book this beautiful place for special events. All the info, plus info for photoshoots, is right on their website. read more

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After numerous attempts to inquire about cost and labor for Bamboo the guy never responds. And when he actually picks up he dares to say that he thought we were going in a different direction. I've asked several times and through visiting the office, he gave me a phone number, email, no response! Don't tell people to reach out and then pretend like you didn't know to get back or that the customer is not interested. We have received nothing! !?! What's going on over there. Steve should be fired read more

I imagine this place is even more beautiful during the day, but we visited after dark for the Illuminated Enchanted Bamboo Forest Walk-Through. There's a parking lot for convenience. The event itself was pretty minimal, only a few items were lit, but it was a really lovely setting, expecially the colored waterfall feature and gazebo. However, they also gave us flashlights to explore the entire area in the dark, and I was lucky to be with best person ever for doing this. We had a lot of fun getting lost in the trails and among the diverse bamboo, learning about these amazing plants, and seeing other random things along the way. And I know they're not trees, but could have fooled me, as we were surrounded by leaves and thick and tall bamboo stems reaching quite high. The owner gave us a gift bag on our way out, with a great book about bamboo and pics of the nursery and garden during the day. He even told us a story about the "princess" house in the middle of the forest, which is supposedly haunted. They were really friendly and it was fun learning about this place. Be aware, there is no internet service here and even throughout a lot of Aptos (at least for T-mobile). read more

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Our goal was to learn about bamboo, and what we might plant successfully in our garden. We certainly learned a lot from our visit. The grounds are beautiful, with many varieties in mature stands. The staff was helpful and friendly. We made some small purchases and went away completely happy with our experience. read more

Beautiful place to spend the day looking around, but God help you if you buy anything from them. If I could give them zero stars or a negative star I would; absolutely horrible company that I will never buy anything from again. Don't let their very friendly demeanor fool you. My original order from them was $21,000 which was for 21 Vivax 55' tall, and 21 Temple 30' tall (heights written into the invoice) and the majority had to be paid for in advance considering the 100 +mile delivery. Long story short, not a single one of the bamboos delivered were the agreed height. The Vivax were 25-35 feet tall (supposed to be 55'), and the Temple were 13-25' tall (supposed to be 30'). In addition, all of them were scrawny with barely any foliage; they looked like toothpicks sticking out of the ground, the complete opposite of what I was shown when I went to their nursery and saw that the bamboo were big and full of foliage. The only reason I paid so much and bought from Bamboo Giant is because they were the only ones that had fully grown, fully mature bamboo that were as tall as I wanted. Bamboo that are the height that I received are available from other suppliers for significantly less money. I immediately brought this to the attention of the manager Vicky and the owner Trevor. I agreed to settle this with them with a partial refund and some free bamboo, but the free bamboo delivered also was much shorter than promised. Trevor came out to my house and offered to resolve this by giving another partial refund (never issued), replacing some dead Vivax, and giving me more free smaller bamboo. Over the course of the next 4 months, they replaced some dead Vivax and planted several smaller bamboo, (less than a quarter of what they agreed to), and didn't give me the partial refund. Getting them to do this was a nightmare. They no showed, no called twice, failed to respond to dozens of emails, texts, and phone calls, and in the end, Trevor sold the business to the old owner Larry. I have been in contact with Vicky, Amy, and Leah. On Friday January 6th Vicky (the office manager) said they would be issuing me a partial refund of $4950 to settle this which I agreed to. On January 12th, I spoke with Amy who said Vicky doesn't work there anymore, didn't have the authority to tell me they are sending me a partial refund, and they are refusing to issue the partial refund and claimed they have fulfilled their obligation. Take a look at the attached photo of one section of my bamboo planter. What this shows is six Temples left and center, and one Vivax on the right in front of a six foot fence. The photos shows that the Temples which were supposed to be fully grown and fully mature 30' tall are only 13'-20' tall and have almost no foliage. The Vivax on the right were supposed to be fully grown and fully mature 55' tall but it is only about 25' tall and has minimal foliage. I also attached two example photos of what these bamboo should look like, and is what the bamboo looked like when I went to the their nursery and what I was expecting. When compared to what I was shown at the nursery (which was big, beautiful and full of foliage) you can see why I was so disappointed by this. I truly can't understand how they are still in business. Over the course of the past 6 months dealing with them, Trevor told me that he was dealing with multiple other customers who had similar problems as I had. Looking at the reviews here, it seems that the good reviews they get are from people who didn't buy anything; which I can understand because their place is beautiful, that's why I spent so much money digging this massive planter, installing a 4 ft. root barrier, and spent literally tens of thousands of dollars on this project, problem is, they didn't deliver what was agreed to, then didn't follow through with the resolution that they offered, and it looks terrible. After months of me trying to resolve this, they have left me with no other option other than legal action. read more

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Super nicely designed bamboo garden. Many different kind of bamboo for your selection. Very reasonable price as well. Staffs are very friendly and accommodating. Highlight is their resident cat, Lancy, who greets and love visitors. read more

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Like many things in life, we thought we could buy bamboo online. What a mistake that would have been. The nursery is truly fun to walk around to see all the different types of bamboo. The kids had a blast running through the bamboo forest and playing in the dock near the pond. We spoke to Trevor and told him what our yard was like and what type of bamboo we were looking for. What a treat to learn about the different shapes bamboo could take. Most importantly, the bamboo we wanted for one corner of our home receives a lot of sun, and we would have picked a bamboo that turns to yellow in bright sun, not the look we wanted. The icing on the cake, we were given a very helpful book on bamboo and learned a few tricks on how to cut our buckets in half to get more bamboo for the money. You won't be disappointed to visit here. read more

li did not expect so much information, products, and just am quite overwhelmed. All in a Very Good way. I now have an idea of how I can both use bamboo and landscape with it. Knowledge and friendly people await your visit to Bamboo Giant Nursery in Aptos. Beyond a nursery, it is an experience. Bring friends or the whole family. read more

Paid $200 for initial consultation and cancelled well in advance, at least 5 days prior to scheduled appointment. When initially called, receptionist said they would refund me. After many calls and voicemails, i got no response or refund. This place is crooked. I even met the owner who is a Christian man and serving in his church. Not sure if he is aware or is allowing this. read more

Incredible variety. If you are going for something unique like bamboo for your garden, go here! Might as well get a beautiful variety and learn how to take care of it. They have super helpful staff, answered all our questions, helped us to think about all the options, and let us explore the grounds. Well worth the drive. I'll recommend to anyone. Thanks guys (Sunny and Trevor). read more

This was a lovely nursery to visit. It has a lovely lotus pond, over 70 different species of bamboo; variegated, dwarf, giant, and rare. There is a water fountain, and a mini waterfall; when we were there it was not flowing. There is also a tori gate, a lovely friendly cat resident here. I enjoyed my visit very much. A beautiful healthy 5 gallon rare variegated shiroshima bamboo is $85. I would splurge on rare bamboos if I had the space. There is also a warehouse of bamboo furniture available for purchase. Would come again! Restroom on site, just go to the office for the key. read more

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They say, Buyer Beware. Well, I'm posting this review to warn potential customers of this business. Dealing with Bamboo Giant Nursery has been one of my worst shopping experiences ever. Let me explain. 1. When Trevor (the owner), initially came out here, he said he would send me some photos of the plants they wanted to use. I waited a few weeks, and the photos never came. I had to call 4 times before they finally sent a couple pics. But they were just generic pics. I wanted pics of the actual plants I was buying. 2. Trevor told me several times that the installation would be a 3 day process. The first day would just be to take final measurements and look over the site. A few days before my scheduled planting, he told me they didn't need the first day. And that in fact it could all be done in one day. That was a big mistake. And it sent up another warning flag for me that things were not well organized. 3. When Trevor's workers came here to do the planting, they expressed concern that there were no liners for the plants. It was their understanding that the new plants were going into an existing bed that already had liners. They felt it would be a mistake to put in these new plants without liners. Apparently there was a big misunderstanding between Trevor and his workers. The workers didn't seem to have a lot of respect for Trevor. Another big red flag. 4. I told the workers that it was important for me to have plants that have foliage all the way to the ground. They had never heard of this requirement before, and said the plants they had brought out would not fulfill this requirement. They said, however, that they could bring plants that did meet this requirement. In other words, in spite of me repeatedly telling Trevor that I needed plants that had foliage all the way to the ground, he completely ignored my request. RED FLAG. 5. Trevor's workers said the plants they brought out (15 gallon plants) would not fill the gaps that I needed to fill, in order to block the neighboring house. And that in fact I would need an additional 4 or 5 or 6 plants, adding thousands of dollars to an already expensive project. The evening after the workers were here, I felt sick to my stomach. I was truly afraid to proceed with the project. I'm sorry to say that I had lost all confidence in Bamboo Giant Nursery, and felt that I had no choice but to cancel. On my initial visit to Bamboo Giant Nursery, Trevor was so friendly and personable. But as soon as I paid my $2,500 deposit, he became impossible to reach. He didn't return phone calls, and at one point actually hung up on me. And of course, even though I did everything that was asked of me, he has refused to return my $2,500. We all make mistakes sometimes. But when there are repeated mistakes, as a businessman, I have to evaluate the situation and take appropriate measures to protect myself. I'm writing this review to protect other people who may be considering working with Bamboo Giant Nursery. read more

Wow this place is cool,took a drive to their" mini bamboo forest" Beautiful plants everywhere,all varieties and sizes. They came and showed how to care for the bamboo and even split a bunch into smaller sections so I could purchase several different types.Real nice friendly folk there and a cute tabby cat to guard the place. read more

I had Bamboo Giant install a Bamboo fence more than five years ago and was thoroughly impressed with how professional they were. When they left except for the Bamboo you wouldn't even know they were here. And this week they came to move some bamboo because the Bamboo has done so well and they did just as great a job. Friendly, quick efficient and now it just looks better than before they came. read more

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OMG, horrible, horrible, horrible service. The fuy in the office completely ignored me. He sat in his office with the heater on talking to his friend about complete BS. It was at the beginning g of the pandemic, so no mask, and no social distancing. Im glad I waited outside for 30 minutes, NOT !!!! Some young men saw me and actually helped me with the questions I had. Once he saw I was getting help, he ran out there to semi-assist. Prices way too high and horrible service read more

Super chill. Enjoy a walk around their gardens. Free with no pressure. Wholesaler who has 15 acres with over 40 different varieties. read more

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We have been wanting to come to the Bamboo Nursery for months. We drove 2 hours in traffic on Saturday with our truck ready to purchase bamboo for our yard even brought our dogs along to explore the protest. It was closed at 1pm on a Saturday. No mention on the web site of this early closure. People were still Inside and many cars when we arrived at 1:40 but they wouldn't let us enter. So not impressed with the customer service. We are never going back it's not worth the drive and waste of time and gas. read more

Talk about a hidden secret! I brought my mom here because I had seen their sign from the road while going to my girlfriend's house. It said "bamboo specialists" on the sign. It's easy to miss, if you're going too fast! We were just planning to find a length of bamboo cane for a project my mom's doing at her house. We not only found exactly what we wanted, but we also found a lot more! There are trails here to view all kinds of bamboo varieties in their full growth. We're talking 40'-50' tall canes of live bamboo in green, yellow, black, brown, as well as striped varieties. It's amazing! They also have varieties for sale from $25 on up. It's not cheap, but there are a lot of rare varieties here that I've never seen at the local nurseries. They tell you how the growth is, whether it clumps or is more of a hedge-type, fast-growing or slow-growing, and whether or not it grows straight up or tends to bow and lean. There are two gongs that you can hit, which resonate nicely through the canes of live bamboo. There's also a pond surrounded by irises with koi fish and water lilies and a waterfall. There are picnic tables for people who just want to enjoy the view and sit under the shade of the bamboo stalks. It's quite relaxing! You definitely get more for your trip out here than just the abillity to buy some bamboo stuff. You get a day in a bamboo park! Check it out! Bring your lunch with you, too, if you want to hang out a bit. They are dog friendly here, too, just keep them on their leash so they don't trample the delicate bamboo shoots growing beside the trails. read more

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Freaking amazing. Pull into the lot and you feel like you've been tranported to some far away land in the middle of a tranquil bamboo forest. Boasting a wide array of different species of bamboo, all for sale, you can't help but marvel at the beauty on display. A koi pond overrun by lily pads and gazebo to scout the koi's swimming below make this a magical place to purchase a bamboo plant. I was expecting a nursery, I got a forest. My only displeasure, service was a bit strained and the kid helping us was a bit curt. Don't know, could be having a bad day but I felt like we were an inconvenience or something. Still, the place is so gorgeous it gets a five star from me. read more

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Super helpful and friendly staff! Jillian was absolutely fantastic in educating me about the different types of bamboo, their characteristics and how to care for them. The entire team was incredibly gracious and helpful in finding ways to work within my budget. Installers were prompt, friendly, very knowledgeable as well, and left the site beautiful and clean. Everyone I interacted with at Bamboo Giant went above and beyond in their service level! Highly recommend! read more

VERY expensive. Whatever you do, DO NOT have Bamboo Giant install or build planter boxes. Construction is questionable on their work and they charge as much as a decent used car for their labor and materials. They DO NOT stand by their work and won't guarantee anything, even though they did when I had the work done...I see their guarantee statements and website have been changed since. When (NOT IF) your bamboo jumps out, you're screwed. We had them come out and construct a planter/plant vivax bamboo in it in our backyard. When these guys were constructing it, questions were brought up about the bottom (there IS a bottom, but just planked boards it turns out) as well as the lack of a plastic barrier being installed. Their "onsite expert" (I forget his name, heavier young white guy with brown long'ish hair and glasses) said, "Oh, it's not necessary. It'll be completely contained in the planter without any risk. It has nowhere to go." I figured this guy does this for a living and he knows what he's talking about, right? Well, a year later, the bamboo rhizomes pushed out of the back side facing the fence and pushed right into the ground, popping out the other side of the fence. I looked closely at the construction of the thing, and the reason that it pushed out the side is that there's only TWO DECKING SCREWS ON EACH END holding the board in place! There is a support board affixed inside the planter as well, but NO SCREWS! We called/emailed and Brian (I'm guessing he's a manager?) came out to the house. He seemed friendly and professional on our meeting, took a look to see what was going on and said he would get back with us for an estimate. Wow, he sure did: $4k for them to pull the bamboo out of a 4'x2' planter, dig up the rhizome that jumped out, repair the planter and replant! I had words with Brian on how unreasonable and ludicrous it was...I mean, I don't mind having to pay something, maybe meeting half-way on the cost, but really???? He said he would get back with me with a revised estimate, but that "he's a busy man". That was back in November and here it is May. He cut and ran, that's exactly what he did. Pretty much to sum it up: if there's concern about bamboo jumping out its enclosed area in your yard, then don't plant bamboo. It WILL jump out. I was promised a "snake oil" fix by these people when I cut them a check to build the planter and plant with "guarantees", but now they're backpedalling, probably because other customers have complained about their B.S. promises and shoddy workmanship as well. Steer clear. Please take time to see the pictures that I have uploaded here. These are absolutely unedited and real. read more

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Great place to see and buy hundreds of different bamboo's. A bit out of the way but nice drive.

If you need bamboo. This is the place! You can find many varieties, just make sure that you know where you're going to put, and choose the genus that grows to the size you want. Have fun with it, I combined Golden with black, it makes a stunning display and a great privacy screen. read more

Trevor and Jillian gave me great costumer service! I had a snafu with my choice and Trevor worked to help me with an exchange. Jillian went above and beyond and treated me like I was her only client. After a phone consultation Jillian went out and pulled several varieties for me to choose from, ultimately helping me find the perfect collection for my landscape. I just got off the phone with Jillian who called to verify a pickup/delivery time. These two turned my mistake into an easy and swift exchange leaving me very satisfied with the service at Bamboo Giant. I am so thrilled to see my landscaping dreams come true! read more

Years ago Bamboo Giant was great. Sadly, they're now horrible, sending untrained guys out to install bamboo that quickly dies due to installation errors. And, forget about getting customer service, despite many years as a customer (and many $$$ spent). read more

The only bamboo I have ever grown was the squiggly kind you get for a housewarming so when I needed a lil sumthin' sumthin' to plant along a fence for privacy I was lost as to what kind of bamboo to select. A little on-line research revealed there are about 8 bazillion kinds of bamboo - my head started to spin. Found this place and whoa nelly - that is a LOT of bamboo. Acres and acres ranging from stalks as big as Shelly Winter's thigh and up to the sky to the aforementioned squigglies. Explained to the very chill and informative dude-on-duty (very possibly his real title) my sitch (sunlight, exposure, wind, space), he scratched his scraggly beard and said, "follow me". He led us to two varieties to chose from. We ended up selecting a bamboo we had seen on-line for twice as much as while I am far from an expert on bamboo pricing that seemed like a purty good deal. Paid for half the order then DoD said if we were willing to wait until the next delivery to our 'hood we could greatly reduce our delivery costs by piggybacking off of that delivery. DEAL me says! The delivery arrived on time and lookin' good! Delivery guy was as nice as DoD guy. Nice guys who know their stuff - 'nuff said. read more

This is an interesting place to visit however if you are looking to purchase some bamboo for your house it is really overpriced. In my opinion bamboo itself is a racket. They will explain to you how easily bamboo is propagated and how fast it grows.... and this itsy bitsy bamboo is $25... read more

Beautiful nursery! I frequently come here and walk the grounds. Friendly/knowlegable staff and amazing selection of bamboo. You can see all the bamboo varieties in their mature form as well. I was reading others reviews..I CAN NOT believe one would complain about their bamboo dying 3 years after purchase! Come on people! No nursery or shop of any kind is responsible for the care or LACK of care you give your purchase 3 years later....wake up!!! read more

This place is great! Beautiful bamboo everywhere, nice trails to walk through. Awesome place to sit and have lunch. They also have a cute gift shop featuring all kinds of bamboo products. Plus, they're dog friendly! We'll be back soon and bring our lunch just to hang out. read more

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Trevor was super nice. He gave us detailed explanation of a lot of things and gave us big discounts when we purchased bamboo furniture there. Brian delivered the furniture to our house, and surveyed the bamboo in our front yard; then came out again to deliver an extra chair that was missing last time due to some miscommunication, though we are about half hour drive from Bamboo Giant. We are very happy with Bamboo Giant! read more

A little slice of bamboo heaven. Granted, it's not cheap to buy, but if you enjoy wandering through bamboo forests and getting lost, you may just want to stop by. It's definitely off the beaten path, but hey, most of the good stuff is these days. read more

Good company. They have amazing amounts of bamboo but mostly they are helpful. Talked to Vickie and Amy.....great instructions on how to protect your property from being over run with bamboo.....There's a system we learned of from them that gets a privacy hedge nice and large in a couple of good years..... We just installed it and I will be encouraged to see the outcome!! But we're happy with them and the process..... read more

I went by to look at some thatch roof material. They were so sweet and took to to the big warehouse where they kept a lot of bulk bamboo. And I found exactly what I was looking for at a very very affordable price. If you're looking to redo your shed with a great beach look try putting a thatched roof on it. read more

I needed some bamboo removed from the side of our house. I inquired as to the best source of advice on bamboo removal, and I received two recommendations to call Bamboo Giant. Bamboo Giant Nursery is located on 31 acres in Aptos. They have one of the largest and most scenic displays of bamboo in North America. Brian Schell, the nursery manager, gave me an onsite consultation and an estimate. I was more than impressed with his intimate knowledge of bamboo, especially with respect to growing habits, removal, propogation, cost and containment. He knew far more than any of the other specialists (including arborists) I consulted, and was able to describe to me in detail the removal process. He gave detailed information on the keeping surrounding foliage intact while removing the unwanted bamboo. In addition to answering my questions in great detail, he made himself available for follow-up questions and consultations. His polite yet factual demeanor gave me the answers I needed. Brian and the Bamboo Giant team have some of the best bamboo knowledge and experience you will find. For anything bamboo-related, they are your go-to source. I recommend them highly! read more

The costumer service is ridiculous. My husband and I drove almost 2 hrs to purchase some bamboo. We were ignored the entire time, the place was not busy. There was no excuse. We will look online, they won't get a dime from me. read more

I have a thing for bamboo. I don't know when it started. I don't know why it started but I got it, I got it bad. Maybe it is because it reminds me of Hawaii, one of my favorite vacation destinations. Regardless, when I saw this place in the Adobe on Green Street book in our room, I had to convince the hubby to go with me. It didn't take much convincing luckily. He is a plant lover and the gardener of the family. The winding roads with markers describing each type of bamboo was a joy to tour. I really want to plant some on our deck in a half wine barrel but because we are on a rooftop penthouse, on the 4th floor, it is really windy and dry and I am not sure that bamboo would like it up there. read more