Sasa palmata

RHS Plant Profile

broad-leaved bamboo

RHS 2002

Synonyms

Bambusa palmata
Arundinaria palmata

Bamboos

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A vigorous small bamboo forming a thicket of erect stems to 2.5m high bearing dark green leaves to 40cm in length, the tips and margins turning pale brown in winter, giving a variegated effect

Position

Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

2.5-4 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 2.5-4 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 shade Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–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: Suckering, Clump forming
Genus: Sasa are small bamboos with vigorously-running, rapidly-spreading rhizomes, forming a thicket of erect stems bearing relatively broad leaves
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Japan & Russia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil, best in partial shade. Protect from cold drying winds. Rampant, creeping rootstock can become very invasive in warm, moist or favourable conditions and need restraining as they have the potential to become a nuisance ; see bamboo control and bamboo cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by young rhizome cuttings and the division of established plants in Spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Hedging and screens
Ground cover

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