Tsuboi Bamboo

Sasa tsuboiana is a robust and highly effective groundcover bamboo that is prized for its ability to grow in challenging conditions, including deep shade. Native to Japan, it features large, broad, shiny green leaves that provide an instant tropical or jungle-like atmosphere. Reaching a height of roughly 1 to 1.5 metres, it creates a dense, impenetrable thicket that is excellent for suppressing weeds on slopes or under large trees. It is extremely hardy (H6) and stays evergreen even in harsh UK winters. While it is a running bamboo, its spread is somewhat more predictable and slower than other Sasa species, but a root barrier is still recommended for small gardens. It is particularly striking when the new leaves emerge in spring with a fresh, lime-green hue. It is unfussy about soil type, as long as it is not waterlogged. In late summer, it may produce inconspicuous flower spikes, but it is primarily grown for its lush, architectural foliage.

Sun: Partial shade to full shade.

Soil: Most soil types, including heavy clay.

Hardiness: H6 — down to −20°C.