Bamboo Hedge

Bamboos make excellent garden hedges, screens, or windbreaks and can be cut or trimmed in the same way as you would do with traditional hedging plants such as boxwood.

The main difference between a screen and a hedge is that hedges generally are more formal in appearance and are shorter whereas screens are much higher and informal. You can cultivate a low hedge by choosing a species that has a height rating to suit your finished hedge requirements, or by pruning and trimming a taller species down to the height you desire. Please see my page on pruning bamboo for information on pruning, cutting, and trimming.

You should choose the species for your bamboo hedge according to your required end result. Start by deciding on the height, colour, density, and leaf size that will be suitable for your location or garden design. Also consider how you are going to control the growth of your hedge and/or contain it in the desired area. Please see my section on control and containment for a guide on these methods.

The bamboos listed below are some of the species that make good hedges.

Species

Hibanobambusa Tranquillans 'Shiroshima' - Very rare - Excellent hedging or screening with moderate spreading - 2 branches per node - Variegated cream and white striped leaves can grow to 10 inches long by 1 1/4 inches wide - Maximum height: 16' - Maximum diameter: 1 1/4"

Indocalamus latifolius 'Solidus' - Very good hedging, screening, and shade bamboo with aggressive spreading - Leaves are 8 to 10 inches long - Maximum height: 8' - Maximum diameter: 3/8"

Indocalamus tessellatus Tessellatus - Excellent for a bamboo hedge, and good for a screen, moderate spreading, can grow in containers - edible - largest leaves of up to 24 inches long by 4 inches wide - Maximum height: 7' - Maximum diameter: 1/2"

Phyllostachys aurea 'Golden bamboo' or 'Fishpole Bamboo' - Good for hedging and excellent for screening and container - spreads aggressively in areas with warm summers - edible - Culms used for fishing rods, walking sticks, umbrella handles, crafts projects, and interior decoration - Maximum height: 27' - Maximum diameter: 1 3/4"

Phyllostachys bissetii 'Dwarf Bisset' - Excellent hedging and screening with a very aggressive spread and vigorous growth - early shooting in spring - Used for handicrafts, tools, and splits can be woven - Maximum Height: 18' - Maximum Diameter: 1"

Phyllostachys flexuosa 'Zigzag Bamboo' - Excellent bamboo hedge or screen with aggressive spreading - some culms show a zigzag pattern - edible - branches and leaves appear more open than other species - used for woven bamboo projects, pipes, and fishing rods - Maximum height: 31' - Maximum diameter: 2 1/4"

Phyllostachys heteroclada 'Solidstem' - Good for hedging and makes excellent screening with aggressive spreading - edible - suitable to grow in wetter climates - Maximum height: 24' - Maximum diameter: 3/4"

Phyllostachys nigra 'Hale' - Too tall for a hedge but makes an excellent high branching screen - moderate spreading - hardier than some species - turns black sooner than other species - Maximum height: 20' - Maximum diameter: 1 1/2"

Pleioblastus chino elegantissimus - Excellent hedging and good screening with a moderate spreading - green leaves with thin white stripes varying in lengths - Maximum height: 10' - Maximum diameter: 3/4"

Pleioblastus chino 'Murakamianus' - Excellent for a bamboo hedge and good for screening with moderate spreading - variegated leaves with white stripes - Maximum height: 10' - Maximum diameter: 3/4"

Pleioblastus chino vaginatus variegatus - Makes good hedging but too short for a screen - moderate spreading and deep running rhizomes - smaller, narrow white striped leaves and very ornamental - Maximum height: 6' - Maximum diameter: 1/2"

Pleioblastus distichus 'Dwarf Fernleaf' - Makes good hedging but too short for a screen, also good container or ground cover with very aggressive spreading - tiny leaves that are sometimes only 1" long by 1/4" wide - Maximum height: 2' - Maximum diameter: 1/8"

Pleioblastus fortunei Dwarf Whitestripe - Will make good hedging but too short for a screen, also good for container or ground cover with aggressive spreading - green, cream and white variegated leaves popular ornamental bamboo - Maximum height: 4' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Pleioblastus linearis - Makes an excellent bamboo hedge and is good for screening with aggressive spreading and running - long narrow leaves like grass - sometimes used for roofing - Maximum Height: 14' - Maximum Diameter: 1"

Pleioblastus pygmaeus - A bit too tall for a hedge but good for a high branching screening species that is very aggressive spreading - Maximum height: 2' - Maximum diameter: 1/8"

Pleioblastus pygmaeus 'Ramosissimus' - Makes good hedging but too short for a screen - aggressive spreading - tall and hardy with fan shaped leaf pattern - Maximum height: 6' - Maximum diameter: 1/8"

Pleioblastus shibuyanus 'Tsuboi' - Quite rare vigorous growing dwarf bamboo - excellent hedging, good screening, very aggressive spreading, also good attractive container and ground cover plant - small varying white or cream striped leaves - Maximum height: 9' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Pleioblastus viridistriatus Dwarf Greenstripe - Makes a good bamboo hedge but too short for a screen, is an attractive for ground cover and container plant with aggressive spreading - golden yellow leaves with green stripes in spring approximately 7" by 1 1/2" - can be mowed in winter - Maximum height: 3' Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Pleioblastus viridistriatus chrysophyllus - Makes a good hedging but too short for a screen - aggressive spreading, attractive ground cover and container plant - golden yellow leaves with faint green stripes approximately 7" by 1 1/2" - can be mowed in winter - Maximum height: 3' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Sasa nipponica 'Ward' - Makes a good hedging, container and ground covering plant with aggressive spreading, but too short for a screen - green leaves that develop cream and tan coloured edges in autumn - Maximum height: 2' - Maximum diameter: 1/8"

Sasa palmata - Provides excellent hedging and is good for screening with aggressive spreading - also does well in containers and as a houseplant - leaves are leathery and thick and can be up to 15" long by 2 1/2" wide - grows well in cooler climates - Maximum height: 7' - Maximum diameter: 1/2"

Sasa veitchii 'Kuma Zasa' - Makes good and very attractive hedging but too short for screening - aggressive spreading - dark green leaves approximately 10" long by 2 1/4" wide that turn to a creamy white in autumn - culms turn purple or purplish green on maturity - Maximum height: 5' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Sasaella masamuneana albostriata - Makes a good bamboo hedge with aggressive spreading but too short for screening - thick leaves, variegated with cream or white stripes - Maximum height: 6' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Sasaella ramosa - Makes good hedging being a good runner with aggressive spreading, too short for screening - is also suitable to grow in containers - generally approximately 3' tall - Maximum height: 6' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Shibataea chinensis - Makes good hedging with moderate spreading but too short for screening - Maximum height: 2' - Maximum diameter: 1/8"

Shibataea kumasaca - Excellent for a bamboo hedge and good for screening with slow spreading - leaves are short and broad - culms have slightly zigzag internodes and prominent nodes - Maximum height: 7' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Shibataea lancifolia - Good for ornamental hedging and screening with moderate spreading - longer and narrower leaves than other species - Maximum height: 7' - Maximum diameter: 1/4"

Geographically targeted eBay search box

More...

Following on from your interest in a bamboo hedge you will also find useful information on following pages