Pleioblastus linearis

Height: 2 to 3.5 metres

Common Name: Linear-leaved Bamboo

Still rather rare in Europe, this bamboo from the Ryukyu Islands is grown in parks and gardens in western Japan and is used as roofing material in Honshu. A graceful member of the Pleioblastus group, it looks especially romantic when the long, narrow leaves (up to 25 centimetres in length) are caught by a passing breeze. Although not as energetic a spreader as some of its relations, some attention is advised in the first few years after planting. We find that the clump soon stabilises if you nip out the rhizomes that nudge too far from the plant. The Linear-leaved bamboo grows in a wide range of conditions, and makes a fine specimen plant or containerised subject.