Selecting The Right Bamboo For Pots And Planters: 3 Things To Remember

By: Scott Freedman

Tropical Clumping Bamboo is a quickly gaining popularity as an incredibly ornate and fascinating landscape ornamental throughout the Southern United States and Into California. Through its diverse shape and color range bamboo captivates, as one learns of its seemingly endless variations. The fact is there are over 1200 different types of bamboo plants in cultivation, known worldwide. They range from the largest timber species like the 12’ diameter 100’+ Giant Guadua Bamboo of South America to the smallest known ground cover Dwarf Fernleaf which tops out at only 6”. With this point in mind some bamboo plants are better suited for pot culture than others. I will go over 3 important points to keep in mind when selecting and working with bamboo in pots.

Point 1. When selecting species, the smaller the leaf size, the less water the bamboo will require. Bamboo can be a very thirsty plant, even indoors. Some Large leaf tropical bamboo can use a considerable amount of water per day, so selection of these species should be limited to a large pot or planter. Large leaf Bamboo is usually reserved for 5 gallon pot size or larger. Oldhamii, Chungii Blue, and both Tropical and Lako Black Bamboo are all examples of large leaf, tropical bamboo that are suitable for large pots or planters.

Point 2: Clumping tropical bamboo needs medium to high light to thrive in a pot. These tropical plants are used to the full sun and high humidity of the tropics. They do not thrive in the same places you can grow “Lucky Bamboo”. If there is limited light try selecting a temperate or Running variety. These are the dwarf varieties found in the Sasa and Pleoblastius genus, and are often more tolerant of partial to full shade as many are understory plants found in the sub tropical forests of China and Japan. These bamboo species are prized and collected for their delicate form and decorative leaf variegation and colors. Other Clumping selections for limited light are Buddha belly ventricosa and any of the b. multiplex varieties, particularly stripestem, fernleaf & silverstripe. Alphonse Karr bamboo is exquisite when kept in pots while in partial shade.

Point 3. Large bamboo will only grow to a fraction of their documented mature height when grown in a pot. It is a great way to tame a giant 50’ Oldhamii Timber bamboo into a 17’-20’ large planter showpiece. There are so many amazing bamboo species that are just too big to be practical for most of us. The famed Black Lako is amazing at 50’+ in the landscape and it is also amazing kept at 12’ in a large 15 gallon planter kept poolside. Expect your potted bamboo to grow between 30%-50% of its in ground height and cane diameter.