Plant Finder

Other Names:  Porcata Blue Bamboo

Description:

A tightly clumping, ornamental weeping bamboo; graceful stems with soft powdery blue, gray, and white culms; protect from hot afternoon sun; an ideal plant for containers, small gardens or as a patio screen

Ornamental Features

Nepalese Blue Bamboo's attractive pointy compound leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the year on a plant with a vase-shaped habit of growth. The powder blue stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes

Nepalese Blue Bamboo is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with an indistinguished habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Nepalese Blue Bamboo is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Nepalese Blue Bamboo will grow to be about 18 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Nepalese Blue Bamboo is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.