Fargesia papyrifera

The Fargesia papyrifera is a stunning bamboo plant with blue culms that is non-invasive and suitable for growth in the ground in milder areas. This Chinese bamboo species develops young canes covered with a dense bluish bloom that reveals a striking steel-blue shine. The foliage is light and matte green, and will remain evergreen depending on the severity of the winter. If the plant's growing conditions are met, it can reach heights of up to 6 to 8 metres (19 feet 8 inches or 26 feet 2 inches). Like all Fargesia species, it slowly spreads over the years but does not become invasive. You can exhibit it as a standalone plant, like a work of art, or plant it in a pot on the terrace.

The Fargesia papyrifera (synonym Borinda papyrifera) is a plant of the Poaceae family, a type of grass with woody stems that develops from a non-invasive rhizomatous rootstock, called clump-forming. In this type of bamboo, the rhizomes with very short internodes develop slowly on the periphery of the stump, which gradually widens, but they also develop towards the centre of the clump, which remains very dense without thinning out in the middle. The Fargesia papyrifera is native to the western part of the Chinese province of Yunnan, where it grows in mountain forests. Depending on the growing conditions, it can withstand temperatures as low as -12°C (10.4 °F), according to some sources. It thrives in shade or semi-shade, in deep, moist, and humus-rich soils.

The Fargesia papyrifera is an upright bamboo plant that can spread up to 5 metres (16 feet 5 inches) in the ground, sometimes even more. The culms or canes of this species are known to be particularly thick, with a diameter of 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) and reaching a height of 8 metres (26 feet 2 inches). Unlike other bamboo types, these culms are solid, not hollow, and have a beautiful bluish colour rarely observed in the plant world. The bluish stems are covered with a white powder at the nodes, then take on a more greyish colour. Each node bears a light mahogany sheath that remains attached to the stem for a long time, creating a beautiful colour combination with the blue-grey. In the first year, the culms only bear a few leaves, but the foliage is semi-evergreen and becomes more abundant towards the top of the culms, which makes them very visible. The leaves are lanceolate and tapering at the end, with a slightly greyish, light green colour and a matte finish. To enhance the appearance of small bamboo plants, the best time to prune them is in late winter.

The Fargesia papyrifera is a collector's bamboo, which can be showcased in the garden or on the terrace. Whether in open ground or in pots, it deserves a prime spot, as a standalone plant at the edge of a pathway, in the centre of the garden, or in a carefully chosen large pot that can be stored during the winter in cold and humid regions. It can be paired with other exotic-looking plants such as the Giant Hosta Empress Wu, the Melianthus major, giant cannas, or the Giant Dahlia Imperialis that will lean its tall floral stems on the sturdy culms of this Fargesia. The climbing Aster Ampelaster carolinianus would also be a fantastic choice as it will enliven the garden with pink stars and red leaves at the end of the season and throughout the winter.