Pleioblastus humilis

RHS Plant Profile

toyooka-zasa

Paul Whittaker 2003

Synonyms

Arundinaria humilis

Bamboos

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

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

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