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Bamboos

Chimonobambusa marmorea

marbled bamboo

A low-growing bamboo to 2m high, producing lime-green young shoots marbled brown and white. Arching purple-flushed canes in full sun bear short tufted branches with slender grass-green leaves 10cm in length

Other common names

kan-chiku

Synonyms

Arundinaria marmorea

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or East–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: Suckering
Genus: Chimonobambusa are shade-tolerant bamboos, with very active running rhizomes, forming spreading clumps of erect canes with drooping lance-shaped leaves
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Japan

How to grow

Cultivation

Sun tolerant but best grown in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade, sheltered from cold winds. Can become very invasive in warm, moist or favourable conditions; see bamboo control and bamboo cultivation. In a container grow in a peat-free, loam-based compost and feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser on a monthly basis during the growing season

Propagation

Propagate by seed, division or take rhizome cuttings in spring. Divisions may be slow to establish

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Patio and container plants
Hedging and screens

Pruning

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

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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