Clumping Bamboo

Clumping bamboo is both attractive and useful as a decorative plant. After decades of growing and selling palms, Palmco began growing non-invasive clumping bamboo in 2011. We now offer 14 stunning species that are suitable for a variety of uses and can be used in a variety of climates.

What is Clumping Bamboo?

Much of the bamboo that people are used to seeing is what is called “running” bamboo. This is different in behavior, though not entirely in appearance, from the clumping bamboo that we grow at Palmco.

So, what is the difference? In botanical terms, the difference is in the way that they spread and the mechanism by which they grow. Both types of bamboo are rhizomatic, meaning that they spread by way of a network of rhizomes rather than roots. In other words, there is no single point of central division from which the growing occurs (as is the case, for instance, with a tree’s root system).

In the case of running bamboo, it sends shoots out underground, traveling as far as 15 to 20 feet from the main plant, producing new culms all along the way. This can make it difficult to control and, at times, quite invasive.

In the case of clumping bamboo, each new rhizome produces only one culm, located very close to its mother culm. They turn upward and become canes immediately, grow within a fairly tight, contained circle, and are easily maintained. Clumping bamboo is more easily controlled and less invasive.

Clumping Bamboo Favorites

Palmco offers 14 varieties of clumping bamboo. Here are some of our favorites:

Asian Lemon Bamboo is great for both aesthetic applications and privacy screening. It will give your landscape eye-catching color. Lemon yellow culms are accented by occasional green stripes and dark green leaves, and new culms have pink and peach tones. It’s moderately hardy and frost tolerant to about 21°F. It is a tight clumping bamboo that reaches heights of up to 25 feet, which makes it great for screening.

Golden Goddess Bamboo is easy to work with. It is sometimes called a “well-mannered” plant—quick to grow, easy to maintain, and very non-invasive. When you need a beautiful container plant for the patio or poolside, or are working with a small lot, Golden Goddess may be the perfect solution. It grows to about 10 feet tall with delicate leaves and densely packed ¼” diameter canes that turn golden with age and sun exposure.

Perfect for tight spots, Monastery Bamboo is tight-clumping and tall. It features small leaves on the top third that create a cloud-like effect. Its lower portion tends not to grow foliage, which makes each clump appear almost tree-like. This beautiful bamboo has strong, extremely straight culms that can grow to 40 feet in areas where the soil is well-drained but consistently moist. Monastery bamboo makes an excellent windbreak.

Palmco takes pride in our wholesale clumping bamboo plants, and we think that you will find a wide array of uses for them. If you are interested in learning more, then feel free to browse our website. You can also contact us Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, at (239) 283-1329, where a knowledgeable expert will be available to answer your questions.