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Bamboos

Chusquea valdiviensis

Very rare in cultivation, a vigorous evergreen climbing species bamboo, the tallest in cultivation reaching 25m tall in the wild and forming substantial plants and vast thickets. It has rich dark green lanceolate leaves to 18cm long, sprouting from nodes along the stems to cling on and clamber up, and can easily overwhelm nearby trees and shrubs

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Ultimate height

Higher than 12 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

Wider than 8 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Poaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming, Suckering, Climbing
Genus: Chusquea are evergreen clump-forming bamboos with smooth, glossy, solid canes with 3 main branches at each node, these branching-freely and bearing copious small, dark green leaves
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, leafy, moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade, sheltered from cold, dry winds. See bamboo cultivation. Note this bamboo forms large impenetrable areas in its native South America, and is not likely to be suited to most garden cultivation. See bamboo control

Propagation

Propagate by seed, division or by removing sections of rhizomes with a stem and root, in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Cottage and informal garden
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Remove weak, dead, damaged or spindly stems in spring and to show off stems to best effect. Cut out any flowering shoots promptly to discourage more from forming

Pests

May be susceptible to slug damage on young growth

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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