Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa'

Allgold bamboo

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Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa' is another fabulously colourful large bamboo producing bright golden almost orange canes which can get to an impressive to 3-5cm in diameter. The fresh looking leaves are a deep green occasionally striped in creamy yellow. Originally from China and not widely grown or available we offer plants propagated here at our nursery and are always impressed by the colour and vigour of this bamboo.

Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa' is a large bamboo reaching 5-8 metres high, with a broad arching habit it is best suited as a graceful specimen planted planted in semi-shade to full sun where it's colourful canes (culms as we call them) almost glow in the light. To me this Phyllostachys is so outstanding in colour on a grey day it stands out so much it looks just like it has a spot light shining on it.

Being a large bamboo Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa' wants to form a large clump and will spread unless the rhizomes are contained in some way. Unless you have plenty of space I recommend using a root barrier to contain and keep this bamboo where you want it, not where the bamboo fancies going! Having said this in my garden i dont's use root barrier on my big specimen bamboo and am happy to contain them by planting then in a lawn situation and mowing down anr errant shoots. It's also worth mentioning that with all the bigger Pyllostachys bamboo any unwanted shoots popping up can be cut when young and cooked as you would a bamboo shoot and added to your stir fry.

So once you have chosen a suitable location I recommend good soil preparation, bamboo are shallow rooted and will really enjoy the addition of well rotted farmyard manure mixed with your soil when planting. Water the bamboo thorough before and after planting and make sure it doesn't dry out until established. By that I mean keep it maoist but not flooded, bamboo don't like to be drowned either. Once established it shouldn't need additional watering but will benefit from an annual mulch in compost and the occasional feed in spring and summer.

Eventual Size of Phyllostachys bambusoides 'Holochrysa'

Eventual size after 10 years

Plant Care

Bamboo Care

Before planting it is a good idea to soak the bamboo thoroughly to ensure the rots are well and truly saturated then dig a hole at least twice the size of the root ball add compost then place the bamboo so that the finished soil height will be slightly lower than the top of the root ball. Backfill using your soil mixed 50:50 with good compost. Once planted gently firm down the soil around the base add a top dressing of a good fertilizer, we prefer poultry manure, then mulch with a good 8-10 deep layer of compost. Finally water again to help settle the bamboo. In dry periods it may be necessary to repeat watering regularly, if the bamboo looks dry and the leaves are curling this is a sure sign. After the first season we repeat the mulching and feeding each spring.

Now stand back and enjoy. Don’t expect your bamboo to grow away like a rocket, yes bamboo can grow incredibly fast but most of this happens over a 3 month period which is very generally late May through to early August so if you’ve planted either side of this period I’m afraid you’ll have to wait.

Pruning and Grooming

Bamboo can be very accommodating here. I’ve seen pristine clipped hedges and topiary shaped plantings of both Phllostachys aurea and bissetti showing easy how easy it can be managed. What I like to do though on any large bamboo is to remove all old, thin and spindly canes (or culms as us horticulturists call them) then prune away all the side branches off the remaining culms to a height of between 60cm to 150cm depending on your choice. This in my opinion show bamboos off to there best making them stately specimens.

For more information see our Bamboo Care Guide for these types of Bamboo:

Also see our Bamboo FAQ

Question & Answer