Phyllostachys vivax f. aureocaulis

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golden Chinese timber bamboo

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golden Chinese timber bamboo RHS
golden Chinese timber bamboo Paul Whittaker 2003
golden Chinese timber bamboo RHS
golden Chinese timber bamboo RHS

Other common names

huanggan-wubujizhu

Synonyms

Phyllostachys vivax 'Aureocaulis'
Phyllostachys aureocaulis

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Bamboos
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A vigorous bamboo with tall upright, golden-yellow canes, to 8m high, striped with green bearing dense, drooping leaves to 20cm in length

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

8-12 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
2.5-4 metres
Max Height
8-12 metres

Growing Conditions

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

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–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
Genus
Phyllostachys are attractive, large, evergreen bamboos with running rhizomes, although in cool temperate climates may initially behave like clump-forming genera. Canes grooved on alternate sides between the nodes, with usually two leafy branches at each node
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
E China

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. In a container grow in a peat-free, loam-based compost and feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser on a monthly basis during the growing season. Should remain as a large thicket but may become invasive in warm, moist or favourable conditions; see bamboo control and bamboo cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants
  • 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