BAMBOO

Commonly known as Umbrella bamboo

Bamboo, a sub family of the grass family is found mainly in warm and moist tropical and warm temperate climates. It contains some of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, 36ins in 24 hours, though growth in temperate regions is more like 3-10cms (1.2-3.9ins) per day.

Found in tropical and sub-tropical Asia, tropical America, Africa and northern Australia.

Unlike all trees, individual bamboo culms emerge at their full diameter and grow to their full height in a single growing season of 3-4 months. As the clump matures thicker and taller culms emerge each year until the plant reaches its characteristic limit.

Most bamboo species flower infrequently, at intervals as long as 60 or 120 years, These exhibit mass (or gregarious) flowering and any plant derived from the same stock will flower wherever it is located. After flowering the plant dies.

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Plant Details

Good to know
Tolerates full sun and wind. Useful as a screen or hedge
Pests & Diseases
Slugs on young shoots
Place of origin
Central China
Evergreen
Bright green leaves 6-15cm (2½-6in) long with drawn-out tips
Fully hardy
Entire
Lanceolate
Height
To 4m (13ft)
Spread
1.5m (5ft) or more
Bamboo
Clump-forming bamboo with white-powdery, yellow-green then yellow stems. Deciduous leaf sheaths are downy, greenish purple when young, becoming hairless and pale brown
Hedge
Ideal for hedging
Tall Shrub
Stems usually branch in their first year and eventually arch under the weight of foliage
Hardy - cold winter
Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters. May not withstand open/exposed sites or central/northern locations. Plant can withstand temperatures down to -15°C (5°F)
Rabbit Resistant