Buddha's Belly Bamboo

Buddha's Belly Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin') is the bamboo you can plant without worrying about it taking the garden. It is a clumping species, not a runner, growing to about 4m tall and 2.5m wide, with short green culms that swell into fat bottle shaped segments. In full sun it stays squat and heavily bellied, which is why you would choose it over a plain screening bamboo.

Why you'll love it

• It clumps, it does not run. The root system stays in a tight, non-invasive crown, so no shoots appear across the lawn or under a fence.
• Culms with real character. The swollen internodes give a sculptural, knotted trunk that reads well close up.
• Fast cover at a manageable height. It fills out quickly but tops out near 4m, so it screens a fence without shading the whole yard.
• Built for exposed coastal blocks. Wind tolerant and salt tolerant, and it shrugs off heat and humidity.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a dense screen. Closer than that and the clumps compete, which thins the base rather than filling it.

Poolside. It handles salt and reflected heat, so it suits a pool surround or a coastal fence line.

Pots and balconies. A large pot, 500mm or wider, restricts the clump and exaggerates the bellied culms. Potted plants settle nearer 2.5m to 3m.

Growing Buddha's Belly Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun produces the shortest, fattest culms; in shade it stretches and the bellies flatten out. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost only, so cold inland and southern districts are out.

Soil. Free draining soil suits it best, and leaner ground actually improves the bottle shape. Rich, heavily fed soil gives taller, straighter culms with less character.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then reduce. A light feed of slow release fertiliser in early spring keeps the foliage green without pushing excess height.

Pruning. Thin the clump each spring by cutting the oldest culms out at ground level, and strip side branches from the lower culms to display the shapes.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: a 300mm pot and an advanced 45L. The 300mm plants are young clumps with a few thin culms and take two to three seasons to screen. The 45L plants arrive with established culms and real presence.

New culms emerge at their final thickness, so a young plant will not have the fat lower segments yet. Those come as the clump matures. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the bamboo screening guide for spacing and maintenance.
• Browse the full bamboo collection.
• Compare varieties bred for bamboo screening.
• See other plants for poolside gardens.

Common questions

Will it spread through my garden?

No. This is a clumping bamboo with a compact, non-invasive root crown, so it widens slowly from the centre instead of sending runners out. No root barrier is needed.

How long until it screens a fence?

From 300mm plants at 1.5m spacing, expect a usable screen in two to three seasons. From 45L stock the screen reads as solid much sooner, often in the first full growing season.

Why are my culms tall and thin instead of bellied?

Too much shade, water or fertiliser. Move it to full sun and ease off the feeding, and the new culms will come through shorter and fatter.

Can it handle frost?

Light frost only. A cold snap burns foliage and a hard frost can kill young plants, so in cool districts grow it in a pot under shelter.