he largest and perhaps the most impressive forms of bamboo are the varieties known as phyllostachys, due to the thickness of their canes they are capable of growing to immense heights – some species are even known as “timber bamboo” because their canes are used in construction and to make furniture. There are in fact some 75 species of phyllostachys bamboo, with the very largest growing to be 30m tall. The varieties chosen for UK gardens are not going to reach quite those dizzying heights, but they can still grow very tall, and indeed are often used by gardeners to form screens or natural fences.
Probably the variety of phyllostachys nigra, popularly known as “black bamboo.” This variety is highly prized because of its glossy black canes, which are about the thickness of a finger and contrast dramatically with its thick evergreen leaves. Black bamboo plants form a tall, upright, striking shape and work well in gardens when planted with evergreen shrubs in a foliage garden or as a single clump positioned on a lawn.
They also look great near water features, thanks to the beautiful reflections that they cast, although the gardener should take care not to plant them in wet or soggy soil. Other popular forms of phyllostachys bamboo include phyllostachys aurea, known as “golden bamboo” or “fish pole bamboo”, phyllostachys aureosulcata aureocaulis, or “Yellow Groove Bamboo,” phyllostachys bissetii, the “green stem bamboo” and the towering yellow-gold canes of phyllostachys vivax aureocaulis. The colloquial names give a very good idea of what the gardener can expect from the canes and foliage, and show the sheer variety of colours and textures to be found among the phyllostachys genus.
Phyllostachys bamboos can be grown in both sunshine and shade, provided the sun is not too strong or constant. They grow best in moist, but well-drained soil with shelter from cold or dry winds.