Fountain or Umbrella Bamboo Pingwu

One of the clump-forming bamboos that will not invade your or your neighbour’s garden, Fargesia robusta Pingwu is a robust bamboo reaching 10-13’/3-4m in height, thus making a good screen in front of an ugly building. Alternatively, plant it as a single specimen, for the lovely sound of the wind through its leaves. It’s an evergreen bamboo, with lovely greenish/ golden-yellow, arching, slender culms (stems) which emerge, early in spring, yellow and red, and fade to cream, with an upright, fairly loose habit. The narrow, typical bamboo leaves are deep green, with no or insignificant flowers. Fountain bamboo is from Sichuan, in China, and is a good, low-maintenance plant.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; tolerates poorly drained soil
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of interest: All year
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 10-16’ (3-5m) Spread: 5’ (1.5m)