Phyllostachys aurea [a.uˈre̯a]

Phyllostachys aurea is a running bamboo in the grass family, native to China, grown worldwide for its dense screens of upright canes that ripen to a warm golden yellow. The canes often show distinctive short, crowded internodes near the base, giving them a knobbly look prized for walking sticks and fishing poles — hence the name fishpole bamboo. It spreads aggressively by leptomorphic rhizomes and can become invasive in warm climates, so it needs a root barrier or regular containment in the garden. Tough, fast, and evergreen, it is one of the most widely planted bamboos for hedges, windbreaks, and ornamental groves.