Phyllostachys bissetii - Bamboo

Phyllostachys bissetii is a medium-sized bamboo, valued for its adaptation to the most rigorous climates. It is a very dense species, with lush green foliage, sought after for creating privacy and windbreak hedges, as well as for sound attenuation.

Phyllostachys bissetii is a rhizomatous plant from the Poaceae family, native to cold regions of eastern and central China. It has a slightly drooping habit. The stems (canes) of Phyllostachys bissetii are numerous and closely spaced, with intense medium green colouration that turns olive green. They measure 2 cm to 3cm (0.8 in to 1.2 in) in diameter and reach 6 m to 8 m (19.7 ft to 26.2 ft) in height. The young stems are covered with a white bloom that quickly disappears. They bear a beautiful very dense evergreen foliage, which is rather small at 9 cm (3.5 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.6 in) wide. The foliage is green and glossy on the upper side and bluish-green on the underside. The foliage extends all the way to the ground, making it suitable for creating very dense hedges.

Perfectly suited for container cultivation, it is easily pruned. It is a running bamboo. Its growth occurs along a powerful rhizome, so the installation of a root barrier will allow you to control its spread. Planted at the back of borders, it will quickly grow to provide a private screen while adding an exotic touch to your garden. By keeping it at 2 m or 3 m (6.6 ft to 9.9ft) in height, it will quickly form an impenetrable hedge. Bamboos pair well with shrub peonies, hydrangeas (Annabelle, Fraise Melba, quercifolia), or tall Dahlia imperialis. Don't forget that bamboo doesn't like drought, so water it regularly. To showcase it, plant it in a grove on the outskirts of a wood or as a standalone specimen.

Phyllostachys bissetii owes its species name to David Bisset, who was the first gardener to introduce this bamboo from the Sichuan province and acclimate it in a bamboo garden in Savannah, United States, in 1941. In China, this species is used, among other things, in the production of cooking baskets.