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Pleioblastus humilis

toyooka-zasa

A vigorous, even invasive bamboo, forming low patches or thickets with slender dark green canes to about 1.2m in height, bearing narrow leaves to 20cm in length

Synonyms
Arundinaria humilis
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
5–10 years
Ultimate spread
1.5–2.5 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Green
Autumn Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Poaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Suckering, Clump forming
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

Name status

Correct

Plant range
Japan

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade, with shelter from cold, drying winds. Creeping rootstock can become invasive in warm, moist or favourable conditions and need restraining ; see bamboo control and bamboo cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division, separate rhizomes in spring, keeping divisions moist until well established

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Architectural
  • Hedging and screens
Pruning

Remove 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

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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