Fishpole Bamboo, Golden Bamboo, Yellow Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea)

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Fishpole Bamboo, Golden Bamboo, Yellow Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea)

Categorized as: Bamboo,Ornamental Grass

April 25, 2010 | 2208 Views | 0 Comments

Fishpole bamboo is one of the most common bamboos in the United States. Growing rigidly upright, this bamboo is one of the best for hedges and for planting next to driveways and walkways. It often has a series of distorted internodes at the base of the cane, sometimes called "Tortoise Shell" internodes, that are quite ornamental and make this plant useful for craft work. Culm color of the species type is green. Like other Phyllostachys, when exposed to strong direct sunlight, the canes will fade to yellow with age. Phyllostachys aurea can be an aggressive spreader in hot climates, where care must be used in its placement. Typical diameter is about 1.25 inches.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Phyllostachys
Species: aurea
Cultivar: None Identified

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 6a: to -10 °F
USDA Zone 6b: to -5 °F
USDA Zone 7a: to 0 °F
USDA Zone 7b: to 5 °F
USDA Zone 8a: to 10 °F
USDA Zone 8b: to 15 °F
USDA Zone 9a: to 20 °F
USDA Zone 9b: to 25 °F

Height:

20-30 ft.

Light Exposure:

Full Sun
10% to 40% Shade

Growth Rate:

Very Fast
Fast

This is a great bamboo for screens. Growing very dense with limbs all the way to the ground, it forms a dense grove. In the south, this bamboo is the one used for fishing poles, hence the name. The distorted nodes on the base make an ideal handhold and the cane is very strong, even after being dried out for many years.