Cold Hardy Bamboo Species Information

All bamboo is not created equally. There are about 2,000. Only a fraction of these are hardy to zone 5, but they range from small to tall, from green to variegated, sun loving to requiring shade. These cold hardy species span many genera, but all have the distinct bamboo family resemblance and they are listed on this page.

The facts reguarding invasive or non-invasive is more than either running or clumping.

Ground temperature also plays an important role in at what rate a bamboo spreads. Here in northern Indiana the ground does not become warm enough for the root systems to advance until near the end of summer. By that time they soon cool down again. This leaves a time window of just a couple weeks in which it can claim new ground. This can be good or bad depending on what you're growing. If you're growing a diffuse runner you can be thankful for such a growth situation. However, if you prefer clumpers (especially those which are caespitose) you will barely be able to see any yearly increase in clump size for many years, decades, or even for as long as the plant lives.

All of the species listed below like evenly moist, well drained, fertile soil of non-extreme ph levels except where noted.

Searching through all of these names may seem a bit overwhelming at first unless you know what you are looking for. Below are listed summaries of each cold-hardy genus to help you know where to search for a cold hardy bamboo with certain characteristics.

Arundinaria	medium to fast running, full sun / pm shade.
Fargesia	clumping and require full shade. This Himalayan genus does not do well in the mid-west due to summer heat and are best suited to the north-east and Pacific north-west regions of the US with more mild summers. F. murieliae, F. nitida, F. n. 'Nymphenburg', and F. n. 'McClure' all failed our trials here due to summer heat.
Hibanobambusa	slow to medium running, 'Shiroshima' is variegated, requires mid-day shade.
Indocalamus	slow to medium running and requires full shade.
Phyllostachys	medium to fast running and require full sun to part shade.
Pleioblastus	slow to fast running, and mostly short ground covers requiring part to full shade.
Pseudosasa	medium to slow running and require mid-day shade.
Sasa	slow to fast running and require full shade.
Sasamorpha	running and require full shade.
Semiarundinaria	slow running and require full sun to part shade.
Shibataea	slow running and require pm shade.

Bamboo For Zone 5

Genus Name	Native To	Max Height / Probable Height In Zone 5	Light	Root System
Arundinaria genus
Arundinaria gigantea	USA, from TX -MD	20 ft / 12 ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Once grew in vast thickets from TX to MD, north into IN and as far south as FL. Now has been extensively killed out in most of it's former range. One of only two bamboo native to the US.
A. g. 'tecta'	USA, from TX -MD	6 ft / 5-6 ft	pm shade	running / diffuse
Tolerates wetter soil than most due to air channels in the rhizomes, but still will not like waterlogged soils
Fargesia genus
Fargesia murieliae	China, south-west	12 ft / 5-6 ft	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Grows in cold mountain forests of southwestern China, mostly at elevations above 3,000 feet. Common food plant of the Giant Panda. Flowered world-wide in 1990- '95. New generation seedlings are predicted as being safe from flowering for 80+ yrs.
F. nitida	China, south-west	12 ft / 5-6 ft	full shade	clumping / caespitose
The young culms are covered with a light blue colored powder, maturing to dark purple-brown. Also food of the Giant Panda.
F. nitida 'McClure'	China, south-west	15 ft / 5-8 ft	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Slightly more weeping larger than species.
F. nitida 'Nymphenburg'	China, south-west	12 ft / 4-5 ft	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Weeps more and has more slender leaves than species. Shorter height due to weeping.
Hibanobambusa genus
Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'Shiroshima'	Japan	16 ft / maybe 10 ft	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
Forms a 15 ft diameter clump in time, but is easily restricted. Takes more sun than most other variegated bamboo. It's also larger than most others with this color pattern, making it idealy suited as a specimen plant. The Japanese word Hibanobambusa translates to "bamboo growing on Hiba mountain".
Indocalamus genus
Indocalamus tessellatus	Mountains around Yangtze valley, China	7 ft / 3 ft	full shade	running / diffuse
Largest leaves on any temperate bamboo, measuring up to 24" long x 4" wide. In China it's leaves are used as tea bags. Grows well in pots indoors and out.
Phyllostachys genus
Phyllostachys aureosulcata	Yangtze valley, China	45 ft / 15-18 ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Green culms with yellow sulcus.
P. a. 'Aureocaulis'	China	32 ft / 15+ ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Solid gold culms showing some redish tints where exposed to sun.
P. a. 'Harbin'	China	32 ft / 15+ ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Only bamboo in the world with a striped and ribbed culm. Culms are gold with multiple green grooves. Extremely rare.
P. a. 'Harbin-inversa'	China	32 ft / 15+ ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Opposite color pattern of type. Fantastic focal point in the garden.
P. a. 'Spectabilis'	China	32 ft / 15+ ft	full sun	running / diffuse
The combination of green sulcus against golden culms is breath-taking! This bamboo should be used as a focal point in the garden if 'Harbin' is just too "loud" for you, or as a prominant screen. Very upright grower.
P. bissetii	China	23 ft / 15+ ft	full sun	running / diffuse
More wind & salt tolerant than most. Thick foliage starts low on the culms making it good for hedges.
P. nigra	China	50 ft / 6-10 ft	best in 1/2 sun	running / diffuse
Site carefully in sheltered location. Will never be black if top killed each winter. Culms take 6 month to 1 year to turn. In China it is highly valued and cultivated extensively, it is almost revered even.
P. nuda	China	35 ft / 20+ ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Makes a great tall screen, hedge, or specimen. Good shoots.
P. rubromarginata	China	55 ft / 18+/- ft	full sun	running / diffuse
Site carefully. It's less hardy than some, though it runs like mad in zone 7 and south. The shoots' sheaths are edged in red. Hence "rubromarginata". It tollerates cold dry winds better than most, but probably not as well a P. bissetii. It has been reported to reach up to 30 feet in height and 2 inches in diameter in zone 6 within 8 years. Will be smaller in zone 5, but is still a big bamboo. As with any bamboo, size depends on growing conditions.
Pleioblastus genus
Pleioblastus chino vaginatus 'variegatus'	Japan	10 ft / maybe 4 ft	pm shade	running / diffuse
Groundcover or low hedge.
Pl. distichus	Japan	2 ft / 12-18 in	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
I call this one "instant lawn". Spreads faster than most large bamboo. Can be maintained at only 2" tall by a once a year mowing. However, it will not handle foot traffic. For an area that you don't like mowing or walk much on this is perfect. Also does well in pots indoors and out. It's delicate appearance has earned it the name "fern-leaf bamboo".
Pl. distichus 'mini'	Japan	18 in / 12 in	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
Same as species only smaller and slightly more delicate in appearance.
Pl. fortunei	Japan	4 ft / 18 in - 2 ft	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
Makes a great ground cover. Variegation can dwindle as the season progresses.
Pl. pygmaeus	Japan	2 ft / 12-18 in	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
Makes a great ground cover. It's a rampant grower and is dispised in places such as Georgia where it's compared to kudzu. Up north however it's a great plant!
Pl. viridistriatus	Japan	6 ft / 18 in-2 ft	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
Much slower growing than most in this genus. It usually forms a tight 3 ft diameter clump for many years then spreads out very slowly. Very adaptable to pots, but requires colder conditions in the winter then other Pleioblastus's. The heavy golden variegation is very eye catching. Striking companion planting to black mondo grass.
Pseudosasa genus
P. japonica	Japan	18 ft / 6 maybe 8 ft	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
It's common name of Arrow Bamboo comes from the fact that in ancient Japan it's very straight culms were used as arrow shafts. It's a very upright bamboo for a tight space. It spreads less than most other runners, grows well in pots, and is easily kept in check by mowing around the edges of the grove.
P. japonica 'tsutsumiana'	Japan	18 ft / 6 maybe 8 ft	mid-day shade	running / diffuse
Like the species only the inter-nodes of the culms are swollen, or bloa ted. As are the internodes of the rhizomes.
Sasa genus
Sasa palmata 'Nebulosa'	Japan: see description	7 ft / 4 maybe 5 ft	full shade	running / diffuse
Native to the cold forests in northern Japan and also on Sakhalin Island. In its native habitat it is buried under snow for much of the winter. It has very large leaves, but not as large as those of Indocalamus tessellatus.
S. veitchii	Japan / central and southern	5 ft / 2 maybe 3 ft	full shade	running / diffuse
Develops tan margins on the the leaves in the fall giving a variegated appearance. In Japan it is customary to mow it to the ground each spring before new growth comm ences.
Semiarundinaria genus
Semiarundinaria fastuosa 'viridis'	Japan	34 ft / maybe 10 ft	full sun	running / caespitose
More upright than other bamboo. Makes a great short to medi um height hedge or specimen.
Shibataea genus
Shibataea kumasaca	Japan	7 ft / 2 maybe 3 ft	pm shade	running / caespitose
Requires a ph of 6.5 or lower. A ph over 7 causes extensive leaf bur n. The Japanese word kumasaca literally translates to "field of short bamboo".
Still Looking For Those Listed Below:
Fargesia genus
Fargesia murieliae 'SABE 939'	China	12 ft /	full shade	clumping / caespitose
A new introduction, brought in by the Sino-American Bamboo Expedition. It flowered, and has been identified as a clone of F. murieliae.
Fargesia nitida 'Anceps'	China	12 ft /	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Refined, narrow, long leaves give this Fargesia an elegant appearance. Faster-growing. Heat-tolerant as far south as Alabama. Leaves will curl in sunny conditions. Rare.
Fargesia n. 'de Belder AKA Stream Cottage'	China	12 ft /	full shade	clumping / caespitose
This is the smallest of the dwarf forms of Fargesia currently known. Very small, medium-dark green leaves and dense foliage make this a very desirable plant for small spaces. From Peter Addington's collection, England. Very rare.
Fargesia n. 'Eisenach'	China	6-8 ft /	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Dwarf Fargesia with branches ascending from the base. Rare.
Fargesia n. 'Ems River'	China	12 ft /	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Leaves tend to be smaller than the species. Culms stay dark-purple all year. Rare.
Fargesia n. 'Wakehurst'	China	12 ft /	full shade	clumping / caespitose
Has a bluer color, darker culms, possibly longer rhizome necks; does not show spotting common to other clones.
Phyllostachys genus
Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. 'alata' AKA Ph. a. f. 'pekinensis'	China	42 ft /	full sun	running / diffuse
Similar to P. aureosulcata but with a green groove. Culms grow larger and are often markedly zigzag.
P. bissetii 'Dwarf'	China	18 ft /	full sun	running / diffuse
A rare dwarf form of David Bisset Bamboo. An exceptional small garden plant. Not very invasive. Tolerates acid soil.
P. nuda 'Localis'	China	48 ft /	full sun	running / diffuse
Collected in China, this cultivar is taller and larger than typical Phyllostachys nuda. A must for collectors of timber bamboos. Very rare. Limited availability.
P. propinqua	China	30 ft /	full sun	running / diffuse
Recently released from quarantine, this rare bamboo has bold, dark green leaves. The distinctive dark-purple canes are highlighted by persistent culm sheaths.
P. p. 'Beijing'	China	30 ft /	full sun	running / diffuse
Shoots are gray, leaves larger. Reported to take temperatures down to -15F, grows faster than the type.
P. viridiglaucescens	China	35 ft /	full sun	running / diffuse
The culms grow very straight and the wood is of excellent quality.
Sasa genus
Sasa senanensis	China	12 ft /	pm shade	running / diffuse
The best of all shrub-forming bamboos for winter hardiness and quality of foliage. Medium-sized, dark green leaves remain nearly 100% evergreen in winter. Can be planted in deep shade to partial sun, and will even do well under Norway maples. A desirable plant for tough site conditions.
Sasamorpha genus
Sasamorpha borealis	Japan	6 ft /	full shade	running / diffuse
Native to Hokkaido, Japan, it is hardier than most other Japanese bamboos.
Shibataea genus
Shibataea chinensis	Japan	2 ft /	pm shade	running / caespitose
Similar but smaller than S. kumasaca, it may also be hardier. Shows less leaf burn under alkaline conditions.