Plant Profile: Fargesia nitida

Taxonomy: Fargesia nitida

Names

Fountain Bamboo

  • Photo of Fargesia nitida (Fargesia nitidas)

Phonetic Spelling:far-GHEE-zee-uh NI-ti-duh

Genus:Fargesia

Species:nitida

Family:Poaceae

This bamboo grass is remarkably resilient to cold but struggles with high summer heat and humidity. Its stems, which can grow upright and sometimes droop, have earned it the nickname "fountain bamboo." While it can adapt to various conditions and soil types, it thrives best in moist, well-drained loam rich in organic matter and partial shade. Flowering is rare, and the plant may perish after expending its energy on reproduction. This bamboo is non-invasive, making it suitable for use as a hedge, screen, or windbreak.

Quick Identification

Fargesia nitida Feature Summary

Fargesia nitida Image Gallery

Tags

#arching
#evergreen
#specimen
#slow growing
#shade tolerant
#hedges
#privacy
#screening
#clumping
#wind pollinated
#fantz
#woodlands
#container plants

Similar Plants

Fargesia nitida is often confused with:

Fargesia nitida Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Caryopsis
Flowers
Wind pollinated, dioecious (has both male and female flowers on the same plant). Flowers only appear after long intervals (years). They put all of their energy into their flowers and sometimes plants die after flowering, but they will often recover after looking ragged for a few years.
Leaves
Gray-green, narrow leaves 2-4" long by .5" wide.
Green
Gray/Silver
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Stem
Purplish-green canes
Purple/Lavender
Green
Whole Plant Traits
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Arching
Erect
Clumping
Weeping
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Mountains
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Asian Garden
Shade Garden
Hedge
Screen/Privacy
Specimen
Container
Woodland
Pond

Fargesia nitida Attributes

Fargesia nitida: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Using in making lightweight fences, baskets, and sieves

Fargesia nitida: Country Or Region Of Origin

China

Fargesia nitida: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

Honey fungus

Fargesia nitida: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Fargesia nitida: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Fargesia nitida Fruit

Fargesia nitida: Fruit Description

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

Fargesia nitida: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Fargesia nitida Flowers

Fargesia nitida: Flower Description

Wind pollinated, dioecious (has both male and female flowers on the same plant). Flowers only appear after long intervals (years). They put all of their energy into their flowers and sometimes plants die after flowering, but they will often recover after looking ragged for a few years.

Fargesia nitida: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Fargesia nitida Leaves

Fargesia nitida: Leaf Description

Gray-green, narrow leaves 2-4" long by .5" wide.

Fargesia nitida: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Fargesia nitida: Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Fargesia nitida: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Fargesia nitida: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Fargesia nitida: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Fargesia nitida: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Fargesia nitida: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Fargesia nitida Stem

Fargesia nitida: Stem Description

Purplish-green canes

Fargesia nitida: Stem Color

grass
Green
grass
Purple/Lavender

Fargesia nitida: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Fargesia nitida Whole Plant Traits

Fargesia nitida: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Fargesia nitida: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Fargesia nitida: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Fargesia nitida: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Fargesia nitida: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Fargesia nitida Cultural Conditions

Fargesia nitida: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Fargesia nitida: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Fargesia nitida: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Fargesia nitida: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Fargesia nitida: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Fargesia nitida: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Fargesia nitida: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Fargesia nitida Landscape

Fargesia nitida: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Fargesia nitida: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Fargesia nitida: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Fargesia nitida: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland