The pseudosasa genus of bamboo plants includes small to medium-sized varieties with more than one branch per node. The genus contains some of the varieties most resistant to strong winds and heavy shades, and is therefore ideal for gardens which tend to experience these conditions. Pseudosasa bamboo types prefer soil that is very moist, and different varieties require differing levels of sunlight.
The plants themselves tend to produce dense thickets of foliage, with long, straight stems. The density of pseudosasa bamboo plants makes it an ideal choice for screening and windbreaks, although the enthusiasm with which it spreads means that a gardener needs to handle it with care. Some opt for growing it in garden planters or other containers, while a bamboo barrier is a good way to prevent runners spreading to other parts of a garden.
The largest form of pseudosasa bamboo is pseudosasa longiligula, which is often used to make furniture in its native China, due to the extreme hardiness of the plant and the strength of its canes. It is not especially popular among gardeners at this time, having only recently been commercially introduced into the UK. Other forms of the plant include the broad-leaved Pseudosasa usawai, By far the most popular pseudosasa bamboo available in the UK, however, is pseudosasa japonica, commonly known as “arrow bamboo.” Pseudosasa japonica grows fast and can create a spread of up to 8m, from between 3m and 5m in height.
The evergreen leaves that it produces are large, glossy and dark green in colour, forming an attractive lance shape, while the canes are shiny and olive green, slowly turning pale beige as they get older. Japonica itself contains within it other subspecies, such as the “Akebono” variety, with whitish-light green leaves which are slightly larger than the more common relation.