About
An evergreen perennial that forms dense thickets of slender, vivid green canes up to 2m tall. Usually clump-forming in habit, it may become spreading in favourable conditions and need containing. Glossy green leaves, up to 60cm long and 5-10cm wide, are the largest of all hardy bamboos and cause the canes to bend over under the weight of the foliage.
About the genus
Indocalamus are fairly small evergreen bamboos, initially clump-forming then becoming spreading with vigorous rhizomes; slender canes, usually with one branch at each node, bear thick glossy dark green leaves
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectNorth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeBamboos
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageEvergreen
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spreadwider than 8 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesArchitectural, Patio and container plants, Cottage and informal garden
Native toChina
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, ideally in light dappled shade but tolerant of sun if the soil is moist. In containers, use a peat-free, loam-based compost and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing season
PruningThin clumps by removing the oldest canes in spring as the young ones emerge
PropagationPropagate by division in early spring
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free