Sasaella masamuneana 'Albostriata'

Height: 1 metre

In its native Japan, this striking dwarf bamboo is highly prized as a garden ornamental. The long, waxy leaves (up to 20 centimetres) emerge in spring brightly decorated with light-emitting, creamy-white stripes. Interestingly, later leaves show a more subdued variegation, and as the season progresses, all the stripes fade to produce a demure, toned-down plant. The fast-spreading rhizomes make it an ideal candidate for use as a groundcover plant in sun or shade. Its upright growth also makes it an agreeable addition to a mixed planting scheme, provided that it is contained within a rhizome barrier. We cut the old foliage down to the ground in early spring so that the radiant new growth shines out cleanly.