Nepalese Blue Bamboo

Nepalese Blue Bamboo (Himalayacalamus porcatus 'Nepalese Blue') is a clumping bamboo, so it screens a boundary without the running roots that give bamboo its bad name. It reaches about 6m tall and 2.5m wide, with new culms emerging a chalky blue before ageing to olive and gold. Planted 1.5m apart it forms a tall, narrow privacy screen.

Why you'll love it

• It clumps, it does not run. The rhizomes are short and tight, so the clump widens slowly from where you put it. No barrier, no trenching.
• Height where you have no width. Roughly 6m of screen from a footprint of about 2.5m, which suits the narrow strip along a fence line.
• Blue culms are the reason people buy it. New canes carry a powdery blue bloom for their first season, then settle to olive and gold.
• Genuinely low maintenance. Thinning the oldest canes once a year is most of the work, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a solid screen. On an exposed boundary a staggered double row at the same spacing filters wind better than a single line.

Feature clumps. A single plant against a rendered wall reads as sculpture once the culms colour up, and the leaf movement carries sound.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A container 500mm or wider holds it to about 3m to 4m. Potted bamboo drinks heavily in summer, so expect real watering.

Growing Nepalese Blue Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade in subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens. It is frost hardy once established and handles wind and humidity, but shelter it from hot afternoon sun, which curls the leaves in inland districts.

Soil. Any reasonable soil with drainage. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep to keep the shallow rhizomes cool.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week for the first two summers, because a dry clump will not push tall canes. Feed a high nitrogen or lawn style fertiliser in early spring and again in summer.

Pruning. Remove the oldest, dullest canes at ground level each spring to keep the clump bright. Strip the lower side branches to show the culms, and trim the tops to hold a set height.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: 2L singles, 200mm in packs of six, and 250mm in packs of three. The 2L is the value option for a long run and catches up quickly. The 200mm and 250mm plants carry more root mass and a season of extra height, which matters if you want the screen sooner.

Expect the first year to go into roots rather than height, then a jump in cane size each season after. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Bamboo for screening explains clumping versus running types.
• Compare the range in our bamboo collection.
• See other screening plants from 4m to 8m.
• Plants for windy conditions for exposed sites.

Common questions

Will it spread into my neighbour's garden?

No. This is a clumping bamboo with short rhizomes, so it widens gradually rather than sending runners out. Allow about 2.5m of width at maturity.

How far apart for a screen?

1.5m apart in a single row closes into a continuous screen. Tighter planting does not speed it up, it just makes the clumps compete for water.

Can I keep it shorter than 6m?

Yes. Cut canes just above a node at the height you want and they hold it permanently, since a cut cane never extends again.

Does it cope with frost?

It is frost hardy and suits cool temperate gardens. Shelter young plants their first winter, and expect severe frost to brown some leaf, which the spring flush replaces.