Pseudosasa japonica
arrow bamboo
Overview
Pseudosasa japonica is an evergreen running bamboo reaching 6-15 feet (1.8-4.6 m) tall with canes 0.5-0.75 inch (1.3-2 cm) thick. The olive-green to tan culms are upright and largely unbranched below, topped by a fan of dark green leaves 5-13 inches (13-33 cm) long and up to 1.5 inches (4 cm) wide, each with a persistent pale sheath at the base. It holds its evergreen foliage through winter to about -4 F (-20 C), though leaf tips brown in hard freezes and drying wind. The plant spreads by vigorous underground rhizomes that send up new canes well away from the parent clump, forming dense thickets over time. This running habit lets it move beyond its planting position unless a root barrier or container confines it. New shoots emerge in late spring and reach full height within one season. Canes were traditionally cut for arrow shafts, the source of the common name. It grows in full sun to part shade and a wide range of soils, tolerating coastal exposure and urban air but spreading fastest in moist, fertile ground.
Native Range
Pseudosasa japonica is native to Japan and the Korean Peninsula, where it grows in lowland thickets, forest edges, and along streams. It has naturalised in parts of Europe and North America from garden plantings.Suggested Uses
Grown as an evergreen screen, hedge, or windbreak, and in large containers where the running roots can be held, spaced 3-5 feet (0.9-1.5 m) apart for a screen. Suits coastal and urban sites and Japanese-style gardens. Confined planting is used wherever spread must be limited.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6' - 15'
Width/Spread5' - 10'
Reaches mature size in approximately 5 years
Bloom Information
Like most bamboos, Pseudosasa japonica flowers only at long, irregular intervals of many years, often across whole populations at once. Most plantings stay in foliage and never bloom in a gardener''s experience. Flowering, when it occurs, can weaken or kill the clump.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Dark greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow in full sun to part shade in any moist, reasonably fertile soil; it tolerates clay, sand, salt spray, and urban air. Install a deep root barrier or grow it in a large container, since the running rhizomes spread aggressively into surrounding ground. Water regularly until established and during drought, as dry soil causes leaf-tip scorch and curling. Apply a high-nitrogen feed in spring to support the season''s new canes. Thin older and weak canes at ground level each year to keep the grove open. Hardy in USDA zones 6 through 10, the foliage stays green through most winters in that range.Pruning
Cut out the oldest, weakest, and dead canes at ground level in spring to keep an open grove. Reduce height by cutting canes just above a node; they will not regrow taller from the cut. Sever and dig escaping rhizomes at the bed edge each year to contain the spread.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
early spring
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 15 gallons