Ghost Bamboo

Ghost Bamboo (Dendrocalamus minor var. amoenus) is the bamboo people buy for the culms rather than the leaves. New canes emerge with a chalky white bloom that reads almost powder blue in the light, then age to green. It is a clumping bamboo, not a running one, reaching about 10m tall with a clump usually 3m to 4m across, so it gives serious height in a strip of ground barely wider than a garden bed.

Why you'll love it

• Clumping, not running. The roots stay in a defined clump and do not send shoots across the lawn or under a fence.
• Height in almost no width. Around 10m tall from a clump of 3m to 4m, so it screens a double storey neighbour from a narrow side boundary.
• The culms are the feature. New canes carry a distinctive chalky white coating that makes the clump worth lighting at night.
• Fast, and pet friendly. Once established it puts up new canes each summer, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart for a tall screen. At that spacing the clumps merge into a continuous green wall within two to three seasons while each keeps room to throw new canes.

Poolside. Leaf litter is fine and light, the roots behave near a pool shell, and the vertical canes suit a resort style planting.

Feature planting and windbreaks. A single clump in a courtyard is a strong architectural statement, and a row filters wind across an exposed boundary.

Growing Ghost Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with the strongest canes in full sun. 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 will damage it. Heat, humidity and wind are all handled well.

Soil. Rich, well drained soil gives the best canes. Work compost and aged manure through the bed before planting, and mulch 100mm deep. Bamboo is a grass and it responds to good soil more than most screening plants.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers. Steady moisture through the growing season is what sizes up the new canes. Feed a high nitrogen or lawn style fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer.

Pruning. Thin the clump each winter by cutting the oldest canes out at ground level, which keeps light in the middle and shows off the white new growth. Lower branches can be stripped to about 2m for a clean legged look.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three, and single 5L, 300mm and 400mm pots. Every size arrives as a young clump with thin canes well short of full height, which is normal for bamboo. The canes you receive never thicken. Height and diameter come from the new canes that follow.

Expect a modest first summer, then a noticeable jump in cane height and thickness each year for three or four years until the clump reaches its size. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete guide to screening with bamboo
• Browse the full bamboo range
• Compare tall and narrow screening plants
• Planting options for poolside gardens

Common questions

Will it spread through my garden?

No. This is a clumping bamboo, so the rhizomes stay tight and the clump widens slowly to 3m or 4m. It is running bamboos that cause trouble, and this is not one.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Two metres apart in a single row. Closer spacing does not close the gap any faster and leaves each clump short of room.

How long until it reaches full height?

Allow three to four years in a warm garden with good soil and steady water. Each summer produces taller and thicker canes than the last until the clump matures.