Herb: Dwarf Fern-Leaf Bamboo


Latin name: Pleioblastus pygmaeus


Synonyms: Arundinaria pygmaea, Sasa pygmaea


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Bamboo

Height:
25 cm
(9 3/4 inch)

Habitat of Dwarf Fern-Leaf Bamboo:

Carpets the floors of forests.

Other uses of the herb:

A useful ground cover plant in the right situation. It needs an area with lots of space for it to roam at will.

Propagation of Dwarf Fern-Leaf Bamboo:

Seed - if possible, surface sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse at about 20°C. Stored seed should be sown as soon as it is received. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination usually takes place fairly quickly so long as the seed is of good quality, though it can take 3 - 6 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a lightly shaded place in the greenhouse or cold frame until they are large enough to plant out, which could be a number of years. The plants only flower at intervals of several years and so seed is rarely available. Division in spring as new growth commences. Take divisions with at least three canes in the clump, trying to cause as little root disturbance to the main plant as possible. Grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse in pots of a high fertility sandy medium. Mist the foliage regularly until plants are established. Plant them out into their permanent positions when a good root system has developed, which can take a year or more. Basal cane cuttings.

Cultivation of the herb:

Carpets the floors of forests.

Medicinal use of Dwarf Fern-Leaf Bamboo:

None known

Known hazards of Pleioblastus pygmaeus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.