Clumping Bamboo is a tough, herbaceous perennial, evergreen that is native to Sichuan province in China. This bamboo has a narrow form and can reach heights of 10 to 15 feet over 5 to 10 years. It has slender, arching canes and attractive olive green leaves and is sometimes grown as an ornamental. The genus name honors Paul Guillaume Farges (1844-1912), a French missionary and naturalist who worked in Central China. Clumping Bamboo prefers fertile, moisture-retentive soil, but tolerates most soil types, including clay, as long as the site is moist and well-drained. The plant does best in partial shade in a sheltered site. A number of cultivars for this plant are commercially available. Existing plants can be propagated by division of established clumps or cuttings of young rhizomes in spring. Clumping Bamboo is robust, compact, and dense, but is not considered overly weedy. The plant will form dense clumps of deep blue-green canes with creamy-white sheaths. The canes become paler as they mature. The leaves are green on top and blue-green beneath. The plant is not considered invasive, which is common with bamboo, but it will do as well in a container as in the garden. Pruning is optional, except to remove unwanted stems in spring. Diseses, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.. Slugs can attack young shoots.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Herbaceous Perennial; Ornamental Grasses and Sedges; Perennial
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Columnar; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green; Orange; White
Leaf type
Sheath
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Dark green foliage and light green culms, with new shoots that are hairy and rusty red in early spring. The culm sheaths persist and fade to almost white, giving the culms a checkerboard look in the spring through early summer.
Flower detail
No significant flowers.
Stem detail
Several small branches at each node bear copious narrow leaves.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China
Distribution
South Central China
Food & Medicine
Uses (ethnobotany)
The shoots are edible and are an important source of food for the giant panda. The culms provide material for weaving.