Garden Designers & Landscape Gardeners
Garden Buildings in South & East England

Fargesia robusta - One of the more recently introduced bamboos only just becoming more readily available in nurseries. It was expensive and hard to find just a few years ago, and much sought after because of its well behaved clump forming habit. This plant in the Aromtherapy Garden grew into a dense clump over a period of just 3 years from one 5 Litre plant that was only 60cm tall with 7 or 8 very thin shoots.
Buy this plant from Jungle Giants, see their link on our Resources Page.  

This photo shows the new shoots hardening off and shedding their protective sheaths, making a decorative pattern as they do so. This is the second time they make a contribution to the showy character of this bamboo, the first is when they tightly clad the new shoots as they emerge when they are dull red or purple. The dark glossy green leaves are very hardy and keep their healthy appearance no matter what the weather when cold or dry winds can dessicate the leaves of other species. The leaves are long and relatively narrow in shape and held stiffly on the branches giving the plant a bristley, neat and 'organised' look. As well as taking up little ground and garden space with its compact nature it also grows to only 5m in height and so will not become the dominating giant that other bamboos can be.   
Photo courtesy of Noah Bell and Shweeash nursery copyright holders, see their link on our resources page.

Left - this photo shows the neat formation of the leaves in stiffly held ranks and the strong clump forming habit growing as a dense thicket of slender shoots. If a clump is growing in shade with light coming from one direction or in dry ground with damp soil close by however it may put out shoots 40 or 50cm away from the main clump. The plant can sense the diection of light and presence of moisture and grow towards it, this is not vigorous or hard to control though, and these running shoots are easy to lift if not wanted.
Photo courtesy of Noah Bell - copyright holder at Bamboo Garden Nursery, see their link on our resources page.
Right - this brilliant photo by Noah Bell really illustrates the growth pattern of Fargesia rhizomes. It shows the difference between the 'runners' that bear the buds which become shoots and then culms, and the finer moisture and nutrient gathering roots.
Photo courtesy of Noah Bell and Shweeash nursery copyright holders, see their link on our resources page.