Phyllostachys bissetii

Phyllostachys bissetii is one of the toughest and most reliable bamboos for creating green screens quickly, valued for its dense growth and its remarkable resistance to cold and wind.

Characteristics
It forms upright dark green canes 5-8 m tall and 3-5 cm across, with fine, persistent foliage that keeps the visual barrier all year round. It is the earliest species of the genus to shoot in spring and withstands temperatures down to about -20 °C.

Growing and care
It likes a cool, deep, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade, and appreciates regular watering in the first years. As it is a running bamboo, its spread must be contained with a rhizome barrier or by cutting the rhizomes back periodically. Thinning the oldest canes keeps the clump tidy and light.

Uses
Ideal for tall hedges and screens, noise and wind barriers, background drifts in contemporary gardens, and large containers where root space is already confined.