Slender Weavers Bamboo

Slender Weavers bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis) is what to plant when you need height quickly and have almost no width to give it. Canes reach about 8m while the clump holds to 1m or 2m across, because this is a clumping bamboo rather than a running one. Planted 1m apart it closes into a tall moving screen within two to three seasons, which is faster than any tree will manage.

Why you'll love it

• Height without the footprint. Around 8m of screen from a base barely wider than a wheelie bin, so it solves the narrow side boundary that defeats most screens.
• It clumps, it does not run. The roots stay in a tight crown and expand slowly outward. No underground shoots surfacing in the neighbouring lawn.
• Fast once it takes. New canes come up at close to full thickness and shoot to height in a single season.
• Built for exposure. Wind tolerant, heat tolerant, humidity tolerant and drought tolerant once established.
• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Narrow screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row along a fence line or between two houses. A 600mm wide bed is enough soil for it, which is the whole reason people choose it.

Courtyards, balconies and pots. It grows well in a container 600mm across and deep, though a potted clump stays shorter and needs water far more often.

Windbreaks. The canes bend and the foliage filters rather than blocks, so gusts lose their force instead of eddying over the top of a solid fence.

Growing Slender Weavers bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest, most upright growth, and part shade is fine with a looser habit. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens want a warm sheltered aspect or a hardier screen.

Soil and water. Any reasonable soil with drainage. Dig compost through the row before planting and mulch 75mm deep. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, because a bamboo that dries out while establishing drops leaves and stalls. After the second year it handles dry spells.

Feeding. Bamboo is a grass and it feeds like one. A nitrogen rich or complete fertiliser in early spring and again in mid summer is what drives the tall new canes.

Maintenance. Cut old or leaning canes out at ground level each spring. You can shorten canes to hold height, but the cut shows, so trim just above a node. Strip the lower branches for a clean legged look.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in five sizes: 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, 300mm, 400mm and 45L. The multi packs are the sensible buy for a run of fence, since spacing is 1m and a long boundary needs numbers. The 400mm and 45L plants arrive as established clumps with several canes and useful height.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect some leaf drop after transport, then new canes from the base in the first warm growing season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full clumping bamboo range
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Preparing a garden bed before planting

Common questions

Will it spread into my neighbour's yard?

No. Clumping bamboo puts up new canes at the edge of the existing crown, so the base widens by centimetres a year, not metres. It has none of the underground runners that give bamboo its bad name.

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart for a solid screen. Stretch to 1.5m if you want the canes to read as separate clumps.

Can I keep it shorter than 8m?

Yes. Top the canes at the height you want and trim the regrowth once or twice a year. Most home screens are held between 4m and 5m.