Phyllostachys violascens

Botanical Description

Phyllostachys violascens is an evergreen bamboo that can grow 8 - 10 metres tall; the erect, woody culms are 40 - 60mm in diameter with thin-walled internodes 15 - 25cm long. The rhizomes are elongated, the plant having a running habit that can produce new canes some distance from the main clump, especially in warm climates. This tendency to run, however, is somewhat curtailed in cooler climates, where new shoot production can be rather reduced. The plant is cultivated for its edible stems, which are available earlier in the spring than most other species. It is grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its thin green to purple to mahogany vertical stripes all around the green culms.