Pleioblastus fortunei - dwarf whitestripe bamboo
Posted: Oct 07, 2009 2:49 pm
I only have a couple bamboo growing here, and this is one of them - Pleioblastus fortunei, also known as dwarf whitestripe bamboo, plus it is sold with the trademarked name Little Zebra, but I don't see any difference between Little Zebra and the species.
This is considered a running bamboo, but it grows only about 6" under the surface here so is very easy to control, and after 4 years (3 winters) in the shady growing area it has barely moved outside the original planting. It grows about a foot tall and I grow it in the shade in good soil, but don't ever worry about watering it. I also tried some on a really dry slope and although they keep coming back they aren't growing much. In a lot of sun this one can get some leaf scorch.
It dies back completely here in our zone 5 gardens. If you are worried about it moving too much you could dig a shallow trench around it and then use scissors to cut any runners you see getting into the trench, but I haven't had any issues with that and don't really think it would be that necessary. Makes a really attractive groundcover
This is considered a running bamboo, but it grows only about 6" under the surface here so is very easy to control, and after 4 years (3 winters) in the shady growing area it has barely moved outside the original planting. It grows about a foot tall and I grow it in the shade in good soil, but don't ever worry about watering it. I also tried some on a really dry slope and although they keep coming back they aren't growing much. In a lot of sun this one can get some leaf scorch.
It dies back completely here in our zone 5 gardens. If you are worried about it moving too much you could dig a shallow trench around it and then use scissors to cut any runners you see getting into the trench, but I haven't had any issues with that and don't really think it would be that necessary. Makes a really attractive groundcover