Height: 4 to 5 metres

Common name: Blue Bamboo

The Blue Bamboo is still a rarity in cultivation here, although in its native Himalayas it is often grown for basketmaking and animal fodder. Its name derives from the waxy, blue appearance of the new culms which age to a warm pale-brown, or a reddish tone when in a colder location. The green foliage is more open than that of its relative, Himalayacalamus falconeri. It enjoys a protected, moist woodland situation and is best planted as a solitary specimen, or in small groups, placed where you can admire the eerie blue canes.