Among the easiest and most beautiful of all Dwarf Bamboos, this Greenstripe is a splendidly variegated type that tolerates a range of soils, is cold-hardy to 0 degrees F yet also thrives in subtropical climates, and needs only an annual mowing to keep its fresh, sunny color coming. Superb as a ground cover, accent, mass planting, or container choice, it is easy to grow and impossible not to admire.These canes reach only 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide, with 7-inch-long, 1 1/2-inch wide leaves emerging bright yellow with faint green stripes in spring and then maturing to chartreuse with slightly bolder striping. Although it is evergreen in mild and warm climates, cut this Bamboo back to the ground in late winter for fresher, more colorful new spring foliage each year. Spreading aggressively by rhizomes, it thrives in full sun in the north, partial shade farther south.
P. virdistriatus is a running Bamboo, so if you need to cover ground quickly, it is a superb choice. To slow its growth, give it dry soil and less fertilizer; to hasten the coverage, moist or even wet soil well enriched with organics is ideal.
Native to Japan, P. viridistriatus is well-acclimatized to this country. Its foliage benefits from having undersides covered with fine hairs, which discourage bamboo mites. Healthy, attractive in any season, and very easy to grow, it is a stellar Bamboo. Zones 6-10.
