Height: Up to 6 metres, but could surprise you in a mild climate.

This tall Phyllostachys is at its best when given a generous area of good soil protected from the wind. We think it makes a graceful background plant with its deep-green canes - which mature to a beige colour - and its interesting 15 centimetre-long leaves, glossy green on top and bluish underneath (aptly described in the species name "viridi-glaucescens"). It arrived in Europe from China in 1846, and remains one of the most widely planted Phyllostachys bamboos to this day. In sunshine, the canes may develop a violet flush under the nodes. Again, the rootstock is classed as a runner, but it wanders only in very mild regions.