Bonnie Bamboo Plant

Bonnie Bamboo (Bambusa boniopsis) is the clumping bamboo to reach for when you want a tall screen without an invasion. It settles at around 6m tall and 2m wide, with slim upright canes and fine foliage carried down to the base. The rhizomes clump rather than run, so it holds the spot you plant it in. At 1m spacing it reads as a solid green wall within two to three seasons.

Why you'll love it

• Clumping roots, not running ones. The crown widens slowly from the centre, so it will not travel under a fence the way running bamboos do.
• Tall and narrow. Roughly 6m of height on a 2m footprint, enough to screen an upstairs window from a narrow bed.
• Built for exposed sites. Wind tolerant, comfortable in humidity and genuinely drought tolerant once established.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1m apart in a single row. Tighter spacing will not close the gap any faster and makes each clump harder to water properly.

Hedging. Thin and top the canes to hold the screen at 3m to 4m, which suits a side fence where the full height would overshadow a neighbour.

Pots and windbreaks. A pot 500mm or wider keeps it near 3m. On open blocks a staggered double row at 1m filters wind instead of stopping it dead.

Growing Bonnie Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest cane count; part shade works but the screen stays looser. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost once established, so hard frosting inland and cold southern gardens want a sheltered warm position or a hardier screen.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil suits it provided water moves away. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the canes.

Water and feed. Bamboo is a grass and answers to nitrogen, so a complete or lawn fertiliser in early spring and mid summer holds the colour. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers, then only in dry spells.

Pruning. Cut old or leaning canes out at ground level in late winter and top the rest at the height you want. A cut cane never grows taller again.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: 200mm in packs of six, single 300mm plants and 45L specimens. The 200mm packs are the value buy for a long boundary, arriving as young multi caned plants that want a season in the ground before pushing real height. A 45L clump already carries mature canes and screens usefully in its first year.

Canes are woody and the foliage light, so it travels well. Expect leaf drop in the first fortnight, then new canes in the following warm season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. 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 complete bamboo screening guide for planting and feeding advice.
• Compare varieties across the bamboo collection.
• See other plants for windbreaks on exposed blocks.

Common questions

Will it spread into my neighbour's yard?

No. This is a clumping species with short, non running rhizomes, so it widens from the centre rather than sending shoots across a boundary. A root barrier is not required.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One metre apart in a single row. Each clump then has room to fill out while the canopies knit together, and every plant stays easy to water in its first summers.

Can I keep it shorter than 6m?

Yes. Top the canes at the height you want and thin the oldest out each winter. New canes emerge at full height, so repeat the trim annually.