Heavenly bamboo

Questions about heavenly bamboo

Does heavenly bamboo need sun or shade?

Heavenly bamboo grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does heavenly bamboo grow in?

USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does heavenly bamboo flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should heavenly bamboo be planted?

3 ft (90 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 4 ft (120 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 6 ft (180 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many heavenly bamboo plants do I need?

At 3 ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 4 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.

Is heavenly bamboo poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the berries, can release cyanide if eaten, and have killed birds, pets and livestock.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

What can I plant instead of heavenly bamboo?

Heavenly bamboo is listed as invasive in parts of North America, so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:

• Mapleleaf viburnum: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 12 in shorter, 4 in wider.
• Winterberry 'Berry Poppins': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 2½ ft shorter, medium leaves, not fine.
• Oregon grape: the same job in a bed; 12 in shorter, 4 in wider.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat heavenly bamboo?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will heavenly bamboo spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is high. Birds spread the seed into woodland. Listed as invasive across the Southeast and in the mid-Atlantic states. Fruitless cultivars are the exception.

It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.

What flowers after heavenly bamboo?

Heavenly bamboo is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Bigleaf hydrangea: from late June to late August, 5 ft tall.
• Delphinium: from late June to mid July, 5 ft tall.
• Russian sage: from mid July to mid September, 4 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does heavenly bamboo look like in winter?

Heavenly bamboo keeps its green and red leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for fine texture and winter colour as well.

Is heavenly bamboo good for bees and butterflies?

Heavenly bamboo is visited by songbirds.