Atra Bamboo

Atra Bamboo (Neololeba atra) is an Australian native clumping bamboo that reaches around 6m tall and 2.5m wide, with slim upright canes and fine foliage carried well up the stem. It clumps rather than runs, so it will not send shoots across the lawn or under the fence. For a tall narrow screen that goes up rather than out, there are few faster options.

Why you'll love it

• It clumps, it does not run. The rhizomes stay tight to the plant, which is the difference between a screen you can manage and one you regret.
• Height without width. At roughly 6m tall and 2.5m across it screens a two storey outlook from a strip barely wider than a garden bed.
• Fast cover. New canes emerge each warm season at close to full height, so a screen fills in far quicker than with most shrubs.
• Native, and built for exposure. It comes from far north Queensland, and handles wind, humidity and coastal salt.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen along a boundary. At 2m spacing the clumps stay distinct, which suits a looser, more natural look.

Windbreaks. A single row filters wind rather than blocking it, so pressure does not build the way it does against a solid fence.

Feature planting. A single clump in a courtyard or against a plain wall gives movement and shadow that a static shrub cannot.

Growing Atra Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland and cold southern districts will damage the foliage and check the canes.

Soil. Deep, well drained soil with organic matter through it gives the tallest canes. It is not fussy, but a shallow or compacted bed produces a shorter, thinner clump.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, since new canes form only when moisture is steady. A high nitrogen or lawn style fertiliser in early spring and again in summer drives the yearly flush of canes.

Pruning and root care. Thin the oldest canes at ground level each year to keep the clump open and let light in. The clump does not run, but the roots are still vigorous, so allow a metre of clearance from paving, pipes and pool shells.

What to expect when it arrives

This bamboo is grown in one size, 5L, and it is currently on backorder, so check the availability shown above before ordering. A 5L plant is a young division with a few slim canes, well short of its final height, and each warm season after planting produces taller canes than the last.

Bamboo foliage often looks tired after transit and some leaf drop is normal. Cut nothing back for the first month. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect useful screening height in the second to third season, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our bamboo screening guide.
• Compare varieties in the bamboo range.
• See the options in bamboo for screening.
• Browse the wider Australian native range.

Common questions

Will it spread into my neighbour's yard?

No. This is a clumping bamboo, so the rhizomes stay close to the parent plant and the clump widens slowly rather than sending runners out. A root barrier is not required.

How long until it screens?

From a 5L plant, expect a useful screen in the second to third warm season. Each year's new canes come up taller than the last until the clump reaches full height.

How much water does it need once established?

Less than people expect, though it is not a dry garden plant. Steady moisture through spring and summer is what produces new canes, so a dry summer means a thinner flush.