Heavenly bamboo
Not a bamboo at all but an easy evergreen shrub; plant it where the low sun lights up its winter colour.
Care
Full sun gives the best red autumn and winter colour; tolerates part shade.
Medium — keep moist until established, then fairly drought-tolerant.
Moist but well-drained soil.
Very little: remove a few of the oldest stems at the base in spring to renew the plant.
A balanced feed in spring.
Division of clumps in spring, or semi-ripe cuttings.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AprilRemove a few old stems at the base to keep it fresh. how ›
- NovemberEnjoy the winter leaf colour and red berries.
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AprilRemove a few old stems at the base to keep it fresh. how ›
- NovemberEnjoy the winter leaf colour and red berries.
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchRemove a few old stems at the base to keep it fresh. how ›
- NovemberEnjoy the winter leaf colour and red berries.
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchRemove a few old stems at the base to keep it fresh. how ›
- DecemberEnjoy the winter leaf colour and red berries.
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Yellowing leaves on chalk.
What to do. Mulch and use a chelated iron feed.
How to spot it. Flowers but no fruit.
What to do. Plant in groups for better fruiting.
How to spot it. Berries are poisonous to pets and birds in quantity.
What to do. Keep away from grazing pets.
Questions
Heavenly bamboo: is it hardy?
H5: Hardy in most of the UK, but can struggle in the coldest inland or upland spots. It survives down to −15 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes — dwarf forms are excellent in pots.
Heavenly bamboo: when do you prune it?
Very little: remove a few of the oldest stems at the base in spring to renew the plant. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in April.
Heavenly bamboo: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in July.
When do you feed it?
A balanced feed in spring. Feeding months, UK: April.