Pleioblastus pygmaeus

RHS Plant Profile
dwarf bamboo

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Other common names

dwarf fern-leaf bamboo

Synonyms

Fargesia pygmae
Arundinaria pygmaea

Bamboos
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A dwarf, evergreen, woody bamboo about 25cm tall, to 40cm in shade, forming carpets of slender, solid, mid-green canes, purplish-green at the tips, and linear, downy mid-green leaves 8-13cm long

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or 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
Clump forming, Suckering
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 soil, in full sun or partial shade. Protect from cold drying winds. May remain clump-forming in poor or dry soils but can become invasive in warm, moist or favourable conditions; see bamboo control and bamboo cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring and keep moist until established

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Ground cover
  • Hedging and screens

Pruning

Remove weak, dead, damaged or spindly stems in spring. Cut out any flowering shoots promptly to discourage more from forming

Pests

May be susceptible to damage from slugs on new growth

Diseases

Generally disease-free