Height: 3 to 5 metres

Common Name: Broom Bamboo

This Chinese bamboo is rare in Europe, but in the east, where it is known as the "spring-rain bamboo" it is treasured for its early shoots which are a tasty delicacy. In Hong Kong it is planted to stabilise soil slopes, but we like to grow it as a screen or clump, or as a very leafy container plant. Young canes are green and sometimes have a subtle purple striping which melts into a uniform dark-green with age. Mature canes have swollen nodes and may be somewhat sinuous. A dense covering of large supple leaves makes this a highly decorative plant which thrives in almost any position in the garden.