Sasa veitchii

Sasa veitchii is a small Japanese bamboo that is sometimes called Sasa albo-marginata because of its large leaves that become edged with cream at the first cold. It is a small bamboo with a bushy and dense habit, displaying truly splendid foliage that often hides the slender canes. It is hardy and not invasive, thriving in light sun as well as dense shade, in any moist soil without excessive limestone. Essential in a Japanese garden, it excels near water features!

Sasa veitchii is a dwarf bamboo, belonging to the family of poaceae or grasses, native to the humid and mountainous forests of the large island of Honshu, in Japan. It is a species with trailing rhizomes. This modest bamboo develops thin and slender canes, averaging 1.20 m (4ft) in height and 4 to 8 mm (1in) in diameter. With rather fast growth, it spreads and colonizes the space, growing in dense, round and diffuse clumps. It has abundant foliage, composed of large evergreen leaves measuring 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10in) long and 5 cm (2in) wide, dark green with a glossy finish. In cold weather, the leaf edges tend to dry out and discolour, clearly revealing a white-cream margin or rib. The canes are slightly purplish, with persistent sheaths, densely covered with long hairs. They grow in diffuse clumps and disappear under the mass of foliage. 

Thriving in almost any location, robust and perfectly hardy, this bamboo is particularly bright in the winter season and is suited to small gardens as well as larger spaces. It thrives in any exposure, even shade, but doesn't tolerate scorching sun, dry and limestone soils, and windy situations. Sasa veitchii can be used in various ways. Its strong rhizomes allow it to stabilise the edges of water features where it will appreciate the moisture. It can be used in woodland areas as a ground cover under trees such as Japanese Angelica and Japanese Maple. It can also be used as a hedge, to create a beautiful low to medium-sized screen that requires very little maintenance. This small bamboo can also be grown in large containers on a terrace or balcony.