Fargesia robusta /ɹəʊˈbʌstə/
Common name: Green screen bamboo · Clumping bamboo · Robusta bamboo
Fargesia robusta is a clumping, non-invasive bamboo native to Sichuan province in China. It forms a tight, upright fountain of dark green culms up to about 5.5 m tall, ornamented with conspicuous pale, papery culm sheaths that contrast beautifully with the canes. One of the most cold-hardy bamboos in cultivation, it tolerates both sun and shade and is widely grown as a fast-establishing evergreen hedge or privacy screen, earning it the trade name green screen bamboo.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to partial shade; appreciates afternoon shade in hot climates
Water
Keep evenly moist, especially in the first season; dislikes drought but needs drainage
Soil
Rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained loam; tolerates most garden soils
Hardiness
Zones 6–9
Mature height
3–5.5 m (10–18 ft)
Pet safe
Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs
Difficulty
Easy
Propagation
By rhizome clump division in early spring, before new shoots emerge
Fun facts
- The genus Fargesia is named after Paul Guillaume Farges, a 19th-century French missionary and naturalist who collected plants in central China.
- The cultivar Pingwu is sold under the trademarked name Green Screen bamboo for its dense, hedge-like growth.
- As a pachymorph (sympodial) bamboo, its rhizomes expand only about 10 cm per year, so it never runs through the garden.
- Like many Fargesia species, its wild populations in Sichuan form part of the giant panda's natural habitat and food supply.