Clumping Bamboo Species
Clumping bamboos are a group of bamboo species known for their non-invasive growth habit, making them popular choices for landscaping and ornamental planting. Clumping bamboos grow in tight clusters that expand slowly outward, forming neat, manageable clumps. They are evergreen, with tall, graceful culms (stalks) and lush foliage that can provide privacy screens, windbreaks, or decorative accents in gardens. All of the clumping bamboos featured on this page can reach their listed sizes if planted in a rainy area with fertile soil; otherwise, they may not reach their full potential. Once a year, cut off the older culms to keep your patch looking good.
Timor Black (Bambusa lako)
Size: 50 ft. x 4 in.
A beautiful and desirable black bamboo. Culms are initially green, and change in color with age to a rich shade of glossy, chocolate black with intermittent green stripes. They maintain their color after harvesting. This bamboo has a very erect growth habit, is a good ornamental bamboo, and makes a good privacy hedge. Can be used for furniture making as well as light building. Shoots are edible.
Java Black
(Gigantochloa atroviolacea)
Size: 55 ft. x 4 in.
Majestic, straight black bamboo. The culms are initially green and as they mature, change color to a matte jet black. They maintain their color after harvesting. It is a tight clumper and fans outward at the top with large green leaves and no bottom branches. It has construction grade timber that is often used for building and furniture. Shoots are edible.
Hitam / Giant Black Bamboo
(Dendrocalamus asper 'Hitam')
Size: 80-100 ft. x 8-10 in.
The largest black bamboo in the world. This black-culmed giant has the fastest growth rate of all the big bamboos. It has strong, thick-walled timber with superior wood quality. Like all black bamboos, it retains its black color after curing, making it highly useful for building and furniture purposes. Produces large, beautiful edible shoots. A must-have if you've got the space.
Indonesian asper
(Dendrocalamus asper)
Size: 80-100 ft. x 8-10 in.
A highly recommended magnificent giant bamboo. Its green culms are covered with thick brown fuzz, and are clean on the bottom with large leaves up on top. It has strong, straight thick-walled timber with superior wood quality. This species is extensively used for construction and furniture making purposes. Enormous delicious edible shoots that we harvest every summer and sell commercially.
Giant Bamboo
(Dendrocalamus giganteus)
Size: 100 ft. x 12 in.
This bamboo lives up to its name. It is the largest bamboo in the world. It makes an impressive statement in the landscape. Its smooth, erect culms have a distinctive blue tint to their dark green, often powdery appearance. Mature culms can have no branches for 36 feet or more. It has strong, straight thick-walled timber with superior wood quality. This species is extensively used for construction and furniture making purposes. construction. High quality, huge, delicious edible shoots.
Sweet Dragon / Velvet-leaf Bamboo
(Dendrocalamus brandesii)
Size: 80-110 ft. x 6-8 in.
The tallest bamboo in the world. A giant, thick-walled timber bamboo that has strong, green culms which are covered in brown and silver fuzz, displaying a milky appearance. Attractive, very large, dark green velvety leaves. Lower culms are branchless. This species is extensively used for construction and furniture making purposes. Produces huge edible shoots.
Sweet Shoot / Taiwan Giant
(Dendrocalamus latiflorus)
Size: 60-80 ft. x 6-8 in.
A stunningly beautiful, large bamboo whose culms are green and straight with long internodes. Culms are branchless on the bottom with the largest leaves of any bamboo in the world up on top. The large leaves are used for wrapping rice dishes by the Chinese. The culms are known for their high quality construction grade timber. Grows best at a low elevation in a protected environment with plenty of water. The huge edible shoots are sweet and delicious.
Colombian Timber Bamboo
(Guadua angustifolia)
Size: 60-80 ft. x 5-6 in.
Guadua is one of the best and most beautiful timber bamboos, known worldwide as the strongest construction grade bamboo for building. Culms are straight, strong, and thick-walled. They are dark green in color with prominent white bands at each node. It has thorny branches which, when mature, start about 15 feet in the air. Guadua is spectacular when mature. Wide spaced rhizome system. The stands become quite large, so give them some space to grow. In South America, Guadua timber is used for the most state of the art bamboo construction. Bridges, buildings, cathedrals and more are built using Guadua.
Bhutan Bamboo / Bhalu bans
(Dendrocalamus sikkimensis)
Size: 50-60 ft. x 4-6 in.
A large, attractive bamboo species with dark green culms that turn rusty orange when exposed to sunlight. A rare ornamental and excellent timber bamboo. The culms are used for construction and furniture making purposes, as well as handicrafts. Has edible shoots.
Hirose Bamboo (Bambusa hirose)
Size: 50-60 ft. x 5 in.
The Hirose Bamboo has a lot to offer. This species originated here on the Big Island. The culms are straight, bug-resistant, and are originally deep green in color, but can turn greenish-orange if exposed to direct sunlight. This bamboo produces very hard, construction grade, large diameter timber that has undergone laboratory analysis and proven to be one of the strongest timber producers. Excellent for construction, furniture making, use as a windbreak and privacy barrier, and can be planted as an easily manageable large hedge. Delicious, big edible shoots.
Cream Stripe Bamboo
(Gigantochloa pseudoarundinacea)
Size: 60-90 ft. x 5 in.
One of the most beautiful large bamboos in the world. The culms are very erect and light green, with cream-colored stripes. When mature, there are no bottom branches. Superior structural timber. It is used extensively for construction, furniture making, water pipes, household utensils, and basketry. Excellent as a dramatic landscape addition. Delicious edible shoots.
Maxima Bamboo
(Gigantochloa maxima)
Size: 50 ft. x 4-5 in.
This bamboo is tall, vertical, and extremely gorgeous. Our favorite bamboo. Maxima is a bold and beautiful statement in the landscape. The culms are large with green and cream stripes. As the patch matures, it becomes more beautiful and the stripes become more pronounced. When mature, there are no bottom branches. Superior structural timber. It is used extensively for construction, furniture making, water pipes, household utensils, and basketry. Delicious edible shoots.
Sumatra Bamboo
(Gigantochloa kuring)
Size: 40-50 ft. x 3-4 in.
This spectacular bamboo has very straight culms with a canopy of large leaves that start around 6 feet above the ground. New culms have beautiful stripes of cream and green, and sometimes purple, which turn to green and white stripes as they mature. The culms can be used for construction, musical instruments, and handicrafts purposes. Makes a great privacy hedge. Shoots are edible.
Bali White Stripe
(Gigantochloa sp. 'Bali White Stripe')
Size: 35 ft. x 3 in.
This attractive bamboo has straight culms adorned with white stripes and large leaves. The culms are matte, unlike other Gigantochloa bamboo culms, which are glossy. This fast-growing bamboo can be planted in higher elevations. The medium-sized timber from this bamboo can be used for light construction. Makes a great privacy hedge. Shoots are edible.
String Bamboo / Tabashir Bamboo
(Gigantochloa apus)
Size: 40 ft. x 3 in.
The most important and useful bamboo in Indonesia. The durable, thick, and straight culms of this bamboo are most used for roof rafters, and they are also used for many different types of construction. The split culms are used for weaving, roof lashing, and made into rope and cord. The lower internodes contain large amounts of Tabashir, an important ingredient in many Chinese medicines. It is reportedly resistant to borers.
Giant Buddha Belly / Lumpy Noodle
(Bambusa vulgaris cv. 'Wamin')
Size: 35-40 ft. x 4-5 in.
This exotic and spectacular giant Buddha belly bamboo has culms with bulging internodes that become more pronounced as the bamboo matures. The culms range in color from verdant green to yellowish-green. This unique and unusual bamboo makes a great centerpiece in your landscaping. It takes about 3 years for the bulging internodes to form. Beautiful for making walking sticks or arts and crafts.
Striped Buddha Belly
(Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin Striata')
Size: 15-20 ft. x 3 in.
A smaller, more rare, and striped version of the Wamin bamboo. A stunning bamboo for landscaping, especially when pruned to about 6-8 feet tall in order to really appreciate its beauty. The culms are yellowish-green in color with irregular dark green vertical stripes. It takes about 3 years for the bulging internodes to form. Beautiful for making walking sticks or arts and crafts.
Sweet Shoot Bamboo
(Nastus elatus)
Size: 40-50 ft. x 3-4 in.
This rare and exotic New Guinea bamboo is stunningly elegant. A beautiful garden specimen with smooth green culms that are erect and gracefully drooping at their tips, with slender, delicately arching light green leaves. Young shoots are a spectacular shade of vivid green, tinted with white powder and with pinkish-colored culm leaf edges. Delicious, sweet edible shoots, which can be eaten raw, unlike most other edible bamboos. Our very favorite edible bamboo shoots to cook. Very easy to prepare.
Monastery Bamboo
(Thyrsostachys siamensis)
Size: 40 ft. x 3 in.
One of our favorites. One of the most graceful bamboos known, with beautiful, feathery leaves. Very compact and vertical with small leaves that create a cloud-like effect. The matte green culms are erect and strong, with culm walls that are very thick and lower nodes that are often solid. Great as a centerpiece in your landscape. Can be used as a windbreak or sound barrier. The strong culms are used for light construction, tool handles, basket weaving, and other arts and crafts. Prized for its delicious, edible shoots.
Sacred Golden Bali
(Schizostachyum brachycladum)
35 ft. x 3 in.
The centerpiece of tropical gardens. Often considered the most beautiful bamboo in the world. Very erect golden culms with long internodes that have no branches until mid-height, where it breaks into a crown of light green leaves with yellow stripes. Young culms are bright yellow and turn golden as they mature. The thin-walled culms are used for handicrafts, light building purposes, and musical instruments. In addition to being an excellent ornamental, Sacred Golden Bali can also be used as a privacy screen or windbreak.
Angel Mist Bamboo
(Dendrocalamus minor 'Amoenus')
Size: 35 ft. x 3 in.
An extremely beautiful bamboo, highly recommended as an attractive landscape specimen. Its powdery, misty white color gives it the name "Angel Mist". Culms are very straight and lime green in color with dark green stripes and with no lower branching. Most of the large green leaves are at the top, providing a beautiful dense canopy that is uniform in shape. The thin-walled culms are used for handicrafts and light building purposes. The culms retain their color and variegation after harvesting if not exposed to sunlight. In addition to being an excellent ornamental, Angel Mist Bamboo can also be used as a privacy screen or windbreak.
White Bamboo / Ghost Bamboo
(Bambusa chungii)
35 ft. x 3 in.
This exotic ornamental bamboo is a dense clumper with very straight, graceful thin-walled culms and no lower branching. The powdery white culms are so prominent that their color is striking even from a distance, appearing as if they have been painted white. The culms can be used for weaving and handicrafts purposes. In addition to being a beautiful garden specimen, White Bamboo can also be used as a privacy screen or windbreak.
Tropical Blue Bamboo
(Bambusa chungii 'Barbelletta')
Size: 35 ft. x 2-2.5 in.
An elegant landscape specimen, highly prized for its upright, tidy growth habit and distinctive, powdery bluish-white culms with long internodes and small leaves. This bamboo has a natural open V-shaped form, with culms growing outward at an angle before rising vertically. In addition to being an attractive feature plant, Tropical Blue Bamboo can also be used as an excellent privacy screen or windbreak. The thin-walled culms are used for handicrafts purposes such as weaving and basket-making.
Green Stripe Bamboo
(Bambusa dolichomerithalla 'Green Stripe')
Size: 35 ft. x 2 in.
This beautiful landscape bamboo is a tight clumper with erect culms that are yellowish-green with dark green stripes when mature. In addition to being an attractive feature plant, Green Stripe Bamboo can also be used as an excellent privacy screen or windbreak. The culms are small but strong, which makes them ideal for light construction purposes such as railings and trellises for plants. The long, straight culms are also well-suited for handicrafts.
Weaver's Bamboo
(Bambusa textilis)
Size: 35 ft. x 2 in.
This bamboo is elegant, graceful, and considered one of the most attractive bamboos available. It is drought-tolerant and can thrive almost anywhere in Hawaii. Weaver's Bamboo is a tight clumper with long, slender culms that are very hard, thin-walled, neat, and perfectly straight, with no bottom branching and small dark green leaves. Culms are initially bluish-green and turn yellowish-green (sometimes almost orange) when exposed to sunlight. The dense hard fiber culms can be used for light construction, furniture, weaving, and musical instruments. One of the best choices for a privacy screen or windbreak. Has edible shoots.
Buluh Madu
(Gigantochloa albociliata)
Size: 30 ft. x 2 in.
This beautiful decorative bamboo is a very dense clumper with grayish-green, slightly rough culms with white stripes and short internodes. The lower culms form a tight, leafless clump, and the higher culms hang down dramatically, with light green leaves, forming a shape almost like a carousel. The almost solid culms are extensively used for light construction and furniture making purposes. Delicious edible shoots.
Lipstick Bamboo
(Gigantochloa luteostriata)
Size: 25 ft. x 1-1.5 in.
This bamboo is a very tight clumper with dense, weeping foliage like a big puff ball. The spectacular large leaves are variegated with white stripes when young. The new shoots have pink leaf sheaths that resemble pink lipstick, giving this bamboo its name. This bamboo is a great choice for a privacy barrier or a large hedge.
Hitam Hijau
(Gigantochloa sp. 'Hitam Hijau')
Size: 20 ft. x 1-1.5 in.
This beautiful bamboo has very dark green culms that are almost black. When translated, "Hitam Hijau" means "black green". The vertical culms have occasional white stripes, and the leaves are a vibrant green. With its tight clump and arching tops, this bamboo is a good choice for a privacy screen or a hedge. Strongly prefers lower elevations. Produces good edible shoots.
Green Hedge Bamboo
(Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe')
Size: 20 ft. x 1.5 in.
A strikingly beautiful bamboo with white stripes on many of its fine leaves. Has dense foliage and slightly arching culms. Many of the mature culms have a silver stripe. Green Hedge Bamboo planted in a row can create an immense wall of green foliage. The exotic pink striped shoots are edible. For a hedge, the recommended planting distance is 3 feet apart.
Yellow Stripe Hedge Bamboo
(B. multiplex cv. Alphonse Karr)
Size: 20 ft. x 1 in.
This stunning bamboo has culms that are initially pink with a green stripe, the pink fading to lemon yellow with age and sun exposure. The lower third of each culm is mostly leafless, and the fine leaves are emerald green in color. A beautiful hedge, windbreak, or single specimen bamboo. Very popular as a hedge due to its moderate height and relatively erect culms. Shoots are edible. For a hedge, the recommended planting distance is 3 feet apart.
Malay Dwarf
(Bambusa glaucophyla
'Malay Dwarf Variegated')
Size: 12-15 ft. x 1.5 in.
This is the most popular compact hedge bamboo on the Big Island. It has beautiful variegated leaves of green and white and a bush-like appearance. It can be easily pruned and shaped. Occasionally, Malay Dwarf sprouts a culm that has reverted to the parent "green" form, which can easily be cut off to retain its variegated shape and form. For a hedge, the recommended planting distance is 3 feet apart.
Malay Super Dwarf
(Bambusa glaucophyla
'Malay Super Dwarf Variegated')
Size: 5 ft. x 0.5-1 in.
We have been propagating hundreds of Malay Dwarf bamboos in pots for the past several years, and we have noticed a few culms that look and grow differently, staying at a much shorter height for much longer, with shorter internodes and a much more pronounced white stripe on the leaves. We separated these culms from the others and planted them separately under observation, and we have determined that this is a new, shorter variety of Malay Dwarf with a much slower growing habit. Perhaps due to its more pronounced white stripes, Malay Super Dwarf (as we have named it) has less tolerance to sunlight and prefers partial shade. We are now propagating it and an update will be posted when it is available.
Chinese Goddess Bamboo
(B. multiplex var. riviereorum)
Size: 8-12 ft. x 0.5 in.
This delicate ornamental bamboo is a dwarf variety with very tiny fern-like leaves. The green culms become golden if exposed to full sunlight. This bamboo grows outward rather than being vertical, and the tops of the culms often arch downward. When planted close together, the clumps form an impenetrable hedge. For a hedge, the recommended planting distance is 3 feet apart.
Purple Jade Bamboo
(Drepanostachyum khasianum)
Size: 10-12 ft. x 0.3-0.5 in.
A beautiful small bamboo with smooth cascading culms and slender dark green leaves on multiple branch clusters. Culms have a distinctive purple hue around the nodes with a contrasting white ring. A good ornamental bamboo. Prefers partial shade. Old culms turn brown and should be removed. This is a very useful bamboo in our nursery. We harvest the culms regularly and use them for staking plants.
Baby Panda Bamboo
(Pogonatherum paniceum)
Height: 2 ft.
This plant is actually not a bamboo at all but a beautiful grass. Its bamboo-like appearance and small leaves give it the name Baby Panda Bamboo. It requires a good amount of moisture. It can thrive along pond edges and creates a lush bed of very fine, slender, bright green leaves. When fully grown, this plant produces a dense and lush foliage mound that looks like a puff ball. Looks great in containers. Just keep it watered so that it stays green.