Description:

Sasaella ramosa is a tough little bamboo that will grow in just about any exposure in a wide range of soils, is drought-tolerant once established, and hardy to about -5 degrees F.   Be careful if you plant this one out - it can be a garden thug!  Makes a great ground cover for large areas, poor soils, and bank stabilization, forming a lush, green mound of foliage about 3' high.  It's perfect for containers as well, forming a green globe of foliage that looks great on the patio!  Looks best if mowed to the ground in early spring every two years or so.

Planting History:

I acquired four large field divisions of this bamboo from a private garden in summer 2000, and initially planted them out in a full shade location adjacent to a wooded greenbelt, in silty loam soil.

In spring 2002, I transplanted them to a full sun location, bordering a sidewalk, in very poor soil (a mix of drain rock and hard pan that was excavated to install a septic tank).  The plants performed well in both locations, spreading vigorously with minimal summer irrigation and no fertilizer. 

In spring 2004, I dug up and divided the entire planting into many, one gallon propagations which established nicely over the 2004 growing season. 

As of 2005, plans are to grow this bamboo strictly as a container plant.

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