Fargesia robusta Campbell

The Fargesia robusta Campbell is a non-invasive bamboo that is highly versatile and easy to cultivate, widely used by landscapers to create evergreen screens or windbreak hedges. This robust variety is also majestic with its very vertical habit, tall stature, and generous foliage. The young spring shoots with a pink hue are particularly attractive, as are older canes whose pattern resembles a white and green mikado. This plant is resistant to cold weather, thrives in sunlight, and can be easily grown in ordinary, moist, and well-drained soil. It also looks beautiful in a container on the terrace or balcony, or as a standalone plant in a small garden.

Fargesia robusta is a plant belonging to the Poaceae family, a type of grass with woody culms that develops from a non-invasive rhizomatous rootstock, known as clump-forming. In this type of bamboo, the very short internode rhizomes develop slowly at the periphery of the rootstock, which gradually expands, but they also grow towards the centre of the clump, keeping it dense without thinning in the middle. Fargesia robusta is native to Sichuan province in China. This bamboo is one of the most robust, withstanding temperatures around -18 to -25°C (-13 °F) (-0.4 to -13 °F).

The 'Campbell' cultivar is a recent horticultural selection, chosen for its vigour and dense foliage. It displays a bushy habit that is both dense and upright. Its height growth is rapid. At maturity, this bush will reach approximately 2m (6 ft 7 in) in width. It develops thin, sturdy culms from its rootstock, measuring about 2.5cm (1 in) in diameter, and can reach a height of 4m. These 'canes' emerge from the ground in a salmon-pink colour. They lengthen, turn dark green, and are covered with evergreen whitish sheaths. At this stage, the culms are cream-striped. Mature culms take on a brighter yellow shade under the sun. They are abundantly adorned with long, fairly wide, tapering evergreen leaves that have a rather dark, satin-like green colour.

Bamboo is versatile in various garden styles, including Asian-inspired, contemporary, exotic, natural, and water gardens. Campbell bamboo is particularly noteworthy for creating an exotic forest effect when planted en masse, adding a sense of verticality and lushness to any garden. It grows quickly and densely, making it ideal for concealing unattractive views or as a windbreak, but it's essential to plant multiple plants with a spacing of 1m (3ft 4in) between them. It can also be grown as a standalone specimen plant if given enough space to showcase its beauty. Additionally, it pairs well with other evergreen shrubs such as Nandina domestica, hollies, Mahonia, or Sarcococca. In tropical-style beds, it complements a variety of plants such as Cannas and Fatsia japonica. Fargesia robusta Campbell can also be grown successfully in containers, making it an excellent choice for creating intimate spaces on balconies or terraces.