Pleioblastus distichus

Height: 0.2 to 0.4 metres

Common Name: Dwarf Fernleaf Bamboo

This vigorously-growing small bamboo is excellent for quick ground cover and can be used to stabilise banks or even to make a lawn. The dainty green leaves are carried in a fernlike fashion in two staggered rows up each culm, giving rise to its common name. Introduced into Europe from Japan in the 1860s, it thrives in sun or semi-shade in all types of soil.