About
This relatively dwarf bamboo, grown for its creamy-white variegated leaves, has a somewhat pendulous habit. As the leaves develop on the new culms, their weight gradually weighs them down.
About the genus
Pleioblastus are evergreen bamboos, diverse in size and habit, with vigorously-spreading rhizomes forming dense thickets of slender canes bearing several leafy branches at each node
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeBamboos
HabitMatforming
FoliageEvergreen
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesArchitectural, Patio and container plants
Care notes
CultivationGrow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Prefers partial shade. Protect from cold drying winds. In a container grow in a peat-free, loam-based compost and feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser on a monthly basis during the growing season. May remain clump-forming in poor or dry soils but can become invasive in warm, moist or favourable conditions and need restraining ; see bamboo control and bamboo cultivation
PruningRemove weak, dead, damaged or spindly stems in spring and thin to show off stems to best effect. Cut out any flowering shoots promptly to discourage more from forming - see bamboo cultivation
PropagationPropagate by division, separate rhizomes in spring, keeping divisions moist until well established
Pest resistanceGenerally trouble-free although slugs may damage new shoots
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free