Which Fargesia for a hedge?

Fargesia for a low hedge

For a low hedge (50 cm to 1 m, or up to 2 m at most), opt for dwarf or small bamboo with dense foliage and a bushy habit.

The Fargesia murielae ‘Bimbo’

The Fargesia murielae ‘Bimbo’ is a dwarf bamboo that does not exceed 1 to 1.5 m in height. It forms a well-compact and spreading bush, densely leafy. It will make an excellent windbreak, noise screen, or a small free-standing or trimmed hedge. It transforms into a green screen on terraces and balconies, as this small bamboo with a compact habit is perfectly suited for pot cultivation, especially since it has a relatively slow growth rate. It boasts vigorous foliage made up of slender leaves that are light green, turning orange over time. It is one of the hardiest of all bamboos, however, avoid exposing it to scorching conditions, as it is sensitive to drought.

The Fargesia murielae ‘Elias’

Here is another non-running small bamboo that has many great qualities! The Fargesia murielae ‘Elias’ is a very good decorative subject for small spaces. Indeed, this variety does not exceed 60 cm in height and 1 m in width at maturity, making it suitable for small free-standing or trimmed evergreen hedges. It is among the most compact forms of Fargesia murielae. Its other asset is its slightly trailing umbrella-like habit: it rises in a dense and spreading tuft adorned with large, evergreen leaves of a satin green. Very hardy and well-suited to pruning, this bamboo displays an original silhouette that allows for the creation of an easy-to-maintain and attractive hedge even in winter. You can easily pair it with the Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, a grass that resembles a small bamboo.

The Fargesia nitida ‘Volcano’

This small non-running bamboo features compact and dense vegetation. The Fargesia nitida ‘Volcano’ forms a tall and neat tuft of about 2 m in height and 80 cm wide. Its second attraction is the deep hue of its purple canes and its finely textured, bright green foliage, which gives great elegance and finesse to this modestly sized bamboo. It also has the advantage of not becoming bare in the centre, remaining well-bushy with its leaves distributed almost throughout its height. It is among the hardiest bamboos, perfectly resistant to cold (down to -20 °C) and prefers partial shade. With a rapid growth rate, it will be perfect for forming a small hedge, a privacy screen, or a noise barrier, whether in the ground or in a large pot or container on the balcony or terrace. In summer, you can enhance its foliage by pairing it with the Clematis ‘Mme Julia Correvon’, whose stems and large flowers, pink tinged with burgundy red, will entwine around its black canes.

The Fargesia murielae ‘Bimbo’ and ‘Elias’

Fargesia for a tall hedge

A bamboo hedge provides refreshing shade in summer and attenuates gusts of wind in winter. Of beautiful stature (2 to 7 m), these bamboos are perfect for creating in just a few years, a screen of greenery, noise barriers, or tall, dense windbreaks. Their graphic and robust canes do not break in the wind, and their light foliage rustles at the slightest breeze, adding an exotic touch. Opt for the tallest bamboo varieties to create an effective windbreak.

The Fargesia rufa

The Fargesia rufa is a vigorous and graceful variety that is very interesting for medium-height hedges. Indeed, this variety does not exceed 2 to 3 m in all directions at maturity, making it ideal for forming lovely evergreen hedges. It helps to obscure views or cut the wind. It is characterised by its canes tinged with red or orange-pink and its dense foliage. Its finely textured green leaves make it a very decorative bamboo all year round. The Fargesia rufa is one of the most cold-resistant, down to -25°C, and one of the most accommodating as it requires little maintenance and no pruning. However, remember to water it regularly in summer as it dislikes excessive heat.

The Fargesia sp Jiuzhaigou ‘Deep Purple ®’

Another stunning variety that stands out, both for its upright, dense habit and for its sumptuous canes resembling mahogany. The Fargesia sp Jiuzhaigou ‘Deep Purple ®’ forms an elegant, bushy clump reaching a maximum height of 2-3 m at maturity. Despite its modest size, it shows vigorous growth. Its upright, straight, and slender canes, of the same dark purple tinged with red, bear small dark green evergreen leaves. Its strong presence and dense, elegant silhouette make it suitable for creating a small hedge, pruned or not (this bamboo tolerates pruning very well) or a vegetative screen. Hardy down to -25°C, it can be grown in all our regions, in the garden or in a large pot or container on the balcony or terrace. It can be used alone or combined with other Fargesia, for example with Fargesia ‘Viking’®, another bamboo that is both decorative and vigorous, to create a colourful, evergreen, and low-maintenance vegetative screen.

The Fargesia robusta ‘Pingwu’

The Fargesia robusta ‘Pingwu’ is an exceptional variety that adds a lot of graphic interest to the garden! This bamboo is distinguished by its white cauline sheaths that contrast with the green of its canes. These very bright sheaths elegantly stand out against the dark green foliage. Growing to 2.5 to 4.5 metres in just a few years, it forms a very graphic clump, perfect for a contemporary garden. With relatively rapid growth, it creates an impenetrable screen or a hedge that remains beautiful. Beneath its exotic appearance, this hardy cultivar (-20°C) has an accommodating nature, thriving in full sun or partial shade, in the ground or in pots, and also tolerating drought well.

photo Wikimedia Commons

The Fargesia nitida ‘Obelisk’

With remarkable vigour, the Fargesia nitida ‘Obelisk’ impresses with its significant development for a Fargesia. It also stands out for its slender appearance, becoming almost columnar over time. It forms an upright and very leafy clump of about 3 to 4 m in height. Very vertical, dense in stems and foliage, and fast-growing, this bamboo is perfectly suited for creating a windbreak or privacy screen. The abundant evergreen foliage, composed of beautiful slender light green leaves, is distributed almost throughout the height of the canes. These canes are light green, turning brown with age. This robust bamboo thrives in all exposures and is as vigorous in the north (-20°C) as in the south of our country. It will be easy to pair with the Fargesia robusta ‘Campbell’, another non-running bamboo, versatile and easy to grow, with a very vertical habit.

The Fargesia papyrifera ‘Blue Dragon®’

The Fargesia papyrifera ‘Blue Dragon’ is a very spectacular and graphic bamboo due to the steel-blue colour of its young canes but also because it is among the tallest of the Fargesias. It can reach 6 metres in just a few years, while remaining well in place, never becoming invasive, ideal for managing sightlines in closely spaced areas. It forms an upright clump with surprising graphic appeal. Its canes, which in the juvenile stage are covered with a bluish bloom, bear leaves of a beautiful matte green. A bit more frost-sensitive (-15°C) than other Fargesias, it prefers to be sheltered from drying and cold winds.