Fargesia murielae Elias

The Fargesia murielae 'Elias' is a variety of non-invasive bamboo of small size and well bushy, capable of maintaining for years its appearance of a friendly and endearing bush. Covered with long, evergreen leaves of shiny green that cascade down its rounded profile, it is decorative all year round. This miniature umbrella bamboo slowly spreads over the years, without ever becoming invasive. 'Elias' is therefore particularly suitable for ornamenting small spaces, both in the ground and in pots. Very resistant to cold, it prefers partial shade and well-drained, fresh, non-chalky soils.

The Fargesia murielae is a plant of the family Poaceae, a kind of grass with woody stems that develops from a non-invasive rhizomatous base, known as a clump-forming bamboo. In this type of bamboo, the very short internode rhizomes slowly develop at the periphery of the stump, which gradually widens, but they also develop towards the centre of the clump, which remains very dense without thinning out in the middle. The umbrella bamboo, also known as Sinarundinaria murielae, is native to the mountains in central China and is one of the hardiest bamboos. It has survived in Eastern European countries with very harsh winters.

The cultivar 'Elias', recently selected in Germany, won a gold medal at the GrootGroenPlus trade fair (Netherlands) in 2017. It is a form similar to the variety 'Luca'; both are the most compact forms of Fargesia murielae currently available. 'Elias' slowly forms a spreading and dense clump that will reach approximately 60cm (23.6 in) in height and 70cm (27.6 in) in width. Eventually, the plant will spread over 1m (3 ft 4 in) on the ground. The canes or culms are very short, erect, slender, 1cm (0.4 in) in diameter but sturdy, almost invisible under the foliage. The foliage, present on the culms, is evergreen and distributed throughout their height. Abundant, the leaves are narrower and elongated than those of other varieties. They are lanceolate and tapering at their tips, with a glossy dark green colour.

The compact Fargesia murielae Elias will make a big impact in a standalone bush or integrated into a low shrub border, or even in a large pot or container on a balcony or terrace. To brighten its foliage in summer, it can be planted with a bushy herbaceous clematis of the integrifolia type, with blue bells, very natural-looking, a dwarf sacred bamboo (Nandina Obsessed Seika), a small Mexican orange Apple Blossom. 'Elias' is ideal for a partially shaded path, and of course in a Japanese garden, with pieris and Japanese azaleas.