Description
Fargesia –
There are about 4 species of clump forming. Evergreen bamboos, in this genus. They occur in damp woodlands in China and Northern Himalayas. These often vigorous bamboos are grown for their attractive linear to lance shaped, slightly checkered, bright, mid or dark green leaves, and erect culms, 6-15′ feet tall, with yellow, brown, or dark purple-green nodes. The inflorescences are terminal panicles or racemes. Grow as specimens plants, many are suitable for hedge or a screen.
Grow in fertile, moisture-retentive soil in full sun or part shade. Divide established clumps in spring. Shelter from strong cold winds.
Prone to slugs.
F. nitida – Arundinaria nitida – Sinarundinaria nitida – Fountain Bamboo – This slow growing, bamboo from Central China grows 12-15′ feet tall and at least 5′ feet wide. It forms dense clumps of erect, dark purple-green culms, to 3/8″ thick, lined purple-brown, and white powdery beneath the nodes , culms remain unbranched in their first year. The deciduous leaf sheaths are pale or purple-brown. The upper portions of the culms produce abundant purple-tinted branchlets bearing cascades of alternate, narrow, lance shaped, finely tapering, dark green leaves, 1 1/2-4″ long. It is rare to flower
Zones 5-9
