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The bamboo, which comes from Asia, is not only very popular with panda bears, but also a versatile design element in the garden: Some species can be planted wonderfully as a privacy hedge, while others are even suitable as ground cover due to their low stature. The easy-care grass can also be cultivated in the bucket, as long as it is sufficiently supplied with water. The selection of different varieties is huge, so we present some of the most beautiful ones here.

bamboo species

There are around 1400 different bamboo species worldwide, most of which - around 500 - are native to China. Another 100 species come from Japan. Although bamboo is mostly associated with Asian flair, with a share of around 130 different species, a large proportion of the worldwide bamboo occurrence comes from South America. Some varieties are also native to Africa and Australia. Of all these different species, however, only a few can be cultivated in the garden in the Central European climate. Essentially, these are the so-called umbrella bamboo (Fargesia) and the flat tube bamboo (Phyllostachys), both of which are available in a wide variety of varieties.

notice: Not everything called “bamboo” is actually one. The lucky bamboo, also known as "Lucky Bamboo", looks very similar to bamboo plants, but belongs to the dragon trees (Dracaena). The heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) is also not a real species of bamboo, but rather a barberry plant (Berberidacea).

Bamboo species without stolons

Many people do not dare to plant the giant grass in their garden or only cultivate it in a large bucket. The reason for this is the assumption that all bamboo species form subterranean foothills that can hardly be managed. In fact, many bamboos reproduce very quickly this way, so they should not be planted out without a strong root barrier - although this isn't true for all. In particular, the Fargesia species, also known as "umbrella bamboos", only form clumps and do not spread uncontrollably through strong rhizomes. These varieties can also be cut off with a spade if necessary (e.g. if they get too big for their location), are very hardy and therefore well suited for garden design.

Fargesia murielae 'Maasai' ('pillar bamboo')

  • Growth form: columnar upright
  • Growth height: 200 to 300 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • Culms: green, dusted with blue
  • Leaves: whitish green
  • Utilization: Single and group planting, for hedges and as a privacy screen, in tubs
  • Location: sun to shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Fargesia murielae 'Simba' ('maned bamboo')

  • Growth form: compact, overhanging
  • Growth height: 150 to 250 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • Culms: green
  • Leaves: soft green, narrow
  • Utilization: for hedges, keeping containers
  • Location: partial shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Fargesia murielae 'Emerald'

  • Growth habit: upright, dense, sprawling
  • Growth height: 150 to 250 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: brownish
  • Leaves: lanceolate, mid-green
  • Use: as a solitaire, for hedges and as a privacy screen
  • Location: partial shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Fargesia murielae 'Superjumbo'

  • Growth form: bushy
  • Growth height: 200 to 300 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • Culms: dainty, greenish
  • Leaves: narrow, evergreen
  • Use: Solitary planting, for hedges, as a privacy screen
  • Location: partial shade to shade
  • Hardiness: good hardy

Fargesia murielae 'Winter Black'

  • Growth form: upright
  • Growth height: 200 to 300 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: black in winter
  • Leaves: green, oblong
  • Use: single and group planting, privacy screen, for Japanese gardens
  • Location: sun to shade
  • Hardiness: very good
Fargesia murielae, umbrella bamboo, Muriel bamboo

Fargesia nitida ("Red or Fountain Umbrella Bamboo")

  • Growth habit: dense, well branched, overhanging like an umbrella
  • Growth height: 250 to 400 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • Culms: narrow, reddish (the sunnier the location, the more intense the coloring)
  • Leaves: narrow, dainty, deep green
  • Use: as a solitary and group plant, for hedges, for planting along the bank of a pond, for tubs
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: good hardy

Fargesia nitida 'Jiuzhaigou 1'

  • Growth form: upright
  • Growth height: 200 to 400 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: bright red
  • Leaves: oblong, dark green
  • Use: as bank planting, privacy screen or hedge, for container planting
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Fargesia robusta 'Campbell'

  • Growth habit: upright, later overhanging
  • Growth height: 350 to 500 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: narrow, greenish brown
  • Leaves: oblong, dainty, dark green with a bluish underside
  • Use: Single and group planting, for hedges and as a privacy screen, for planting in containers
  • Location: partial shade
  • Winter hardiness: conditionally hardy, winter protection makes sense

Fargesia rufa

  • Growth habit: very dense, wide and compact and overhanging
  • Growth height: 150 to 250 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: narrow, brownish green
  • Leaves: rich green, dainty
  • Use: for group and solitary plantings, in borders (e.g. with perennials), as
  • Privacy screen, in tubs
  • Location: Sun to semi-shade, very tolerant of sun
  • Hardiness: Winter protection makes sense

Fargesia scabrida 'Asian Wonder'

  • Growth habit: well branched, upright
  • Growth height: 300 to 400 centimeters
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: bluish
  • Leaves: oblong, glossy, dark green to reddish
  • Use: for single and group planting
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: good

Colletiferous bamboo species

The species and varieties presented in this section are all characterized by strong stolon formation. Therefore, never place these varieties in the garden without a root barrier that is at least 70 centimeters deep or, ideally, cultivate them in a sufficiently large planter (e.g. a mason's tub).

Phyllostachys aurea ("gold cane bamboo")

  • Growth habit: bushy, dense, upright
  • Growth height: 300 to 500 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: golden yellow to green, up to 2.5 centimeters in diameter
  • Leaves: strong green
  • Use: Single and hedge planting, as a privacy screen
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: good

Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis'

  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 300 to 500 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: Striped green-yellow, up to four centimeters in diameter
  • Leaves: Dainty, green with single white stripes
  • Use: Single and hedge planting, as a privacy screen, in tubs
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Phyllostachys bissetii (“green cane bamboo”)

  • Growth habit: very dense, bushy, overhanging
  • Growth height: 600 to 800 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: glossy dark green
  • Leaves: glossy dark green
  • Use: Single and group planting, as privacy screen
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Phyllostachys glauca

  • Growth form: upright
  • Growth height: 400 to 800 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: Blue to turquoise when young, later green
  • Leaves: dark green
  • Use: solitary planting, bamboo grove, as privacy screen
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Phyllostachys humilis ("Bronze Bamboo")

  • Growth habit: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 300 to 500 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • culms: bronze to dark green
  • Leaves: narrow, small
  • Use: Single and hedge planting, as a privacy screen
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Phyllostachys flexuosa ("Lovely Bamboo")

  • Growth form: dense, bushy
  • Growth height: 300 to 400 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: green
  • leaves: dainty, light green to yellowish
  • Use: Single and hedge planting, as a privacy screen
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Phyllostachys nigra ("black cane bamboo")

  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 400 to 600 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: Green when young, later dark to black
  • Leaves: small, dense, dark green
  • Use: Single and hedge planting, as a privacy screen
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: very good

Phyllostachys nigra 'Boryana' ('tiger bamboo')

  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 400 to 800 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: up to six centimeters in diameter, dark green to bluish with brown spots
  • Leaves: dark green, dense
  • Use: solitary and grove planting, as privacy screen
  • Location: Sun to semi-shade, sheltered
  • Hardiness: sensitive, for mild regions

Phyllostachys nigra `Henonis` ("Golden Hair Bamboo")

  • Growth form: upright, dense, overhanging
  • Growth height: 400 to 700 centimeters
  • Offshoots: strong offshoots
  • Culms: up to five centimeters in diameter, green to olive-colored
  • Leaves: shiny green
  • Use: solitary and hedge planting, as a bamboo grove
  • Location: sun, sheltered
  • Hardiness: good

Phyllostachys nigra 'Punctata'

  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 300 to 600 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: green when young, later with brown spots and turning black
  • Leaves: shiny dark green, small
  • Usage: single and hedge planting, as a privacy screen, for bamboo groves
  • Location: sun, sheltered
  • Hardiness: good

Phyllostachys parvifolia (“golden bamboo”)

  • Growth form: upright
  • Growth height: 400 to 800 centimeters
  • Offshoots: strong offshoots
  • Culms: green, later shimmering gold
  • Leaves: small, soft green
  • Use:
  • Location: Solitary planting, for bamboo groves, as a privacy screen
  • Hardiness: good

Phyllostachys vivax 'Huangwenzhu'

  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 600 to 1200 centimeters
  • Offshoots: strong offshoots
  • Culms: glossy green with yellow stripes
  • Leaves: oblong, green
  • Use: Solitary planting, for bamboo groves, as privacy screen
  • Location: sun, sheltered
  • Hardiness: sensitive, for mild regions

Pseudosasa japonica ("Japanese Arrow Bamboo")

  • Growth form: upright, overhanging
  • Growth height: 300 to 500 centimeters
  • Runners: only develops strong runners in old age
  • culms: thin, green
  • Leaves: green
  • Use: solitary or hedge planting
  • Location: Sun to semi-shade, likes warmth
  • Hardiness: good

Small bamboo

Although bamboo is a grass, many of these species grow to heights similar to trees. Some varieties, such as the giant bamboo, can grow up to 40 meters high in their natural habitat. However, this does not apply to all bamboo species, some remain very low and are therefore also well suited as ground cover, for small gardens or for keeping in a bucket.

Fargesia murielae 'Bimbo'

  • Growth form: compact and dense
  • Height of growth: 100 to 200 centimeters, slowly growing (20 to 30 centimeters a year)
  • Offshoots: no
  • culms: dainty, brownish
  • Leaves: strong light green
  • Use: Solitary planting, for hedges, at the edges of ponds, in tubs
  • Location: partial shade to shade
  • Hardiness: good hardy

Pleioblastus fortunei 'Variegata'

  • Growth form: bushy, dense
  • Growth height: 50 to 100 centimeters
  • culms: dainty, green
  • Leaves: green and white striped, oblong
  • Use: as ground cover, as companion plant for perennials, as underplanting for woody plants
  • Location: partial shade to shade
  • Hardiness: good

Pleioblastus pygmaeus

  • Growth habit: upright, bushy, dense
  • Growth height: 40 to 100 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: thin
  • Leaves: small, up to five centimeters long, green
  • Use: low hedge, underplanting of shrubs and perennials, as
  • Accompanying planting, as a lawn substitute
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: good

Pleioblastus shibuyanus 'Tsuboi'

  • Growth habit: upright, bushy, overhanging
  • Growth height: 50 to 150 centimeters
  • Offshoot: yes
  • Culms: thin
  • Leaves: green with white or yellow stripes
  • Use: low hedge, underplanting of shrubs and perennials, as
  • Companion planting, as bonsai
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: good

Sasa palmata 'Nebulosa'

  • Growth habit: flat, strong
  • Growth height: 150 to 250 centimeters
  • Offshoots: strong offshoots
  • Culms: Green when young, later yellowish with brown spots
  • Leaves: Arranged like palms, up to 30 centimeters long, green
  • Use: large-area planting, for long and wide hedges, as underplanting
  • Location: sun to semi-shade
  • Hardiness: good

Sasa tesselata (“Big Leaf Bamboo”)

  • Growth habit: wide, upright
  • Growth height: 100 to 200 centimeters
  • Offshoots: strong offshoots
  • culms: thin, green
  • Leaves: very large, firm and rich green leaves, up to 40 centimeters long
  • Use: surface planting, underplanting, for tubs (overwinter frost-free!)
  • Location: semi-shade to shade, sheltered
  • Hardiness: sensitive, for mild and sheltered locations

Shibataea kumasaca ("butcher's broom")

  • Growth form: bushy, dense
  • Growth height: 60 to 120 centimeters
  • stolons: short stolons
  • Culms: green with short branches
  • Leaves: small, broad, green
  • Use: Solitary and companion planting, as underplanting or small hedge, for
  • tubs and as bonsai
  • Location: Sun to semi-shade, sheltered
  • Hardiness: very good

tip: Many types of tropical and subtropical bamboo species are also very suitable as indoor plants. These include the Bambusa species (e.g. Bambusa ventricosa or Bambusa vulgaris, in particular the 'Wamin' variety) or the very pretty Chimonobambusa varieties (e.g. Chimonobambusa marmorea 'Variegata' Chimonobambusa quadrangularis 'Tatejima'). On the other hand, species and varieties from the temperate climate zones are not suitable as houseplants, as they need a cool hibernation and cannot be kept warm all year round.

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