Berry Bamboo

Berry Bamboo (Melocanna baccifera) is a tall tropical bamboo. Slender culms reach around 10m and carry the foliage high, so it screens above a fence line rather than at knee height. Clumps spread to about 3m in an open, airy habit. It is fast and it needs room.

Why you'll love it

• Height where it counts. The canopy sits high, which is what you want against an overlooking upper storey.
• An open, grove like habit. The culms stay visible rather than buried in foliage, so a stand reads as a feature.
• Fast growing. New culms come up close to full height in a single season once the clump is established.
• Wind and humidity tolerant. The culms flex instead of snapping, and humid coastal summers suit it.
• Edible. The name comes from its unusual fleshy fruit, and young shoots are eaten across its native range in South and Southeast Asia.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 3m apart. Crowding does not close the gap faster, it just makes a congested clump that is harder to thin later.

Windbreaks. A staggered row filters wind rather than stopping it dead, and the flexible culms handle gusts that break rigid stems.

Feature planting. A grove of three to five in a large bed gives real vertical structure.

Room to spread. It is an open clumping bamboo with long rhizomes, not a tight clumper. Allow 3m or more in every direction and install a root barrier near a boundary, slab or pool. Not a courtyard or long term pot plant.

Growing Berry Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade in tropical and subtropical gardens. It is frost tender, so cool temperate and frost prone districts should choose a hardier clumping bamboo.

Soil. Deep, rich and moisture retentive. Dig the bed wide rather than deep, work compost through it and mulch heavily.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then reduce. Feed a high nitrogen or lawn style fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer.

Pruning. Once a year in late winter, cut the oldest and thinnest culms out at ground level and clear side branches to about 2m. Topping a culm at a node sets its height for good.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: 300mm pots and 200mm packs of six. The packs are the practical way to plant a long screen or windbreak at 3m spacing; the 300mm plants suit a smaller grove or a single feature clump.

Expect some leaf drop and browned tips after transit, which grows out. The first season goes into roots and rhizome, so the tall culms arrive in year two. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Using bamboo for fast, low fuss screening
• Browse the full bamboo range
• Compare bamboo suited to screens
• More plants that make good windbreaks

Common questions

Will it spread into my neighbour's yard?

It can. The rhizomes run, so give it generous room or install a proper root barrier along any boundary. A tight clumping bamboo stays put without one.

How tall will it get, and how fast?

Around 10m in a warm garden with water and feed. The first season is quiet, then each season produces taller culms until the clump is mature.

Can I grow it in Melbourne or Perth?

Not reliably in the open ground. It is frost tender and belongs in tropical and subtropical gardens. In cooler or drier climates, choose a frost hardy clumping bamboo.