Bamboo gives height, movement and privacy in a narrow strip of ground faster than almost anything else you can plant. It also has a bad name, earned by the running kinds that travel under fences. This guide covers the difference between clumping and running bamboo, which variety suits which job, where bamboo grows in Australia, and the yearly care that keeps a clump looking deliberate.
Clumping only
There are two kinds of bamboo, and the difference decides everything.
- Clumping bamboo (Bambusa, and Fargesia in cool climates) grows outward a little each year from a tight base, like a very large grass tussock. It stays where it is planted.
- Running bamboo (Phyllostachys and its relatives) sends underground stems metres from the plant, under paving and fences and into neighbouring gardens. It is very hard to remove, and some councils restrict it.
Plant clumping kinds only, and check the botanical name on the label. Every bamboo named in this guide is a clumper.
How fast it grows
Bamboo is a giant grass. Each new shoot reaches its full height in about two months and never grows taller after that; the clump gains height because each year's shoots come up taller than the last. A clump planted from a pot usually reaches its full height in two to three years in a warm climate with regular water. That speed puts it with the other fast growing hedges for Australian gardens.
Choosing by effect
| Bamboo | Height | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Slender Weavers (Bambusa textilis Gracilis) | 6 to 8 m | The standard screening bamboo in Australia. Fine stems and a narrow clump |
| Timor Black (Bambusa lako) | To 12 m | Near black stems. A feature as much as a screen, for warm, frost free gardens |
| Goldstripe (Bambusa multiplex) | To 5 m | Lower screens and large pots |
| Giant Timber (Bambusa oldhamii) | 12 m and more | Acreage and rural blocks only |
Our guide to bamboo for screening covers spacing along a boundary.
Where bamboo works in Australia
| Location | How it performs |
|---|---|
| Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coasts | Fast, dense and evergreen all year |
| Darwin and tropical Queensland | Fastest growth; needs more thinning |
| Sydney and coastal NSW | Very good with reliable water |
| Perth | Workable with irrigation, since sandy soil dries fast |
| Melbourne and Adelaide | Good in sheltered positions; slower in winter |
| Canberra and cold inland | Marginal. Hard frost damages the stems |
What it does that other plants cannot
- Height in a narrow strip. A clump six or seven metres tall takes up barely a metre of ground, which suits tight boundaries.
- Movement and sound. Bamboo sways and rustles, which changes the feel of a courtyard.
- Fast screening. It is among the quickest ways to block a new two storey house next door.
- Vertical line. The stems give a strong repeated upright against rendered walls and modern buildings.
- Filtered light. It casts dappled shade, so other plants can grow beneath it, as in the layered planting in our guide to designing a tropical garden.
Planting
- Plant in spring or summer, when the soil is warm.
- Dig compost through the planting strip. Bamboo likes rich, moist soil that drains.
- For a screen, space Slender Weavers about a metre apart.
- Plant at least a metre from the fence line, so the clump can widen and you can reach behind it.
- Mulch heavily. The plant's own fallen leaves make good mulch and can be left in place.
Keeping it looking deliberate
The difference between a bamboo screen that looks designed and one that looks neglected is yearly thinning. Cut the oldest third of the stems at ground level each year, and strip the lower side branches if you want the stems on show. Left alone, a clump becomes a dense, untidy mass. To limit height, cut stems just above a node; a cut stem does not grow taller.
Water and feeding
Bamboo is hungry and thirsty. A clump short of water thins and drops leaves, which defeats the point of a screen, so water deeply through dry spells. Leaves that roll lengthwise are the sign that it is dry. Unlike native plants, bamboo responds strongly to nitrogen: feed in spring and midsummer with a high nitrogen fertiliser, such as a lawn food.
Common questions
Is bamboo invasive?
Running bamboo is. Clumping bamboo stays in a tight clump that widens slowly.
How fast does bamboo grow?
A new shoot reaches full height in about two months. A new clump reaches its full height in two to three years in a warm climate.
Does clumping bamboo need a root barrier?
No. Allow room for the clump to widen, and plant a metre from fences and paving.
Can bamboo grow in pots?
Yes, in large pots or troughs with regular water and feeding. Goldstripe is the easiest. Our guide to bamboo varieties and care covers pots in more detail.
Ready to plant?
Browse our bamboo collection to compare mature heights and stem colours.
