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When you want a more interesting way to define your garden spaces or a quicker way to create an effective privacy screen, multiplex bamboo is the plant you should use. This species, Bambusa multiplex, is a subtropical bamboo variety with a dense growth habit and an incredibly fast growth rate. In fact, with the right care, this plant may reach a height of 30 feet in just a few years. Multiplex bamboo plants can also adapt well to containers, giving you all the more freedom to use this plant in your planting schemes as you please.
Multiplex bamboo grows best in full sun but grows well in partial shade as well.
Watering
This plant has good drought tolerance when mature. Avoid waterlogged soils.
Fertilizing
Feed once per year with a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen.
Planting and Care
by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on August 16, 2022
Planting instructions
What’s most important when selecting a growing location for your multiplex bamboo is ensuring that you don’t choose an area with soil that may become waterlogged. The ideal soil for this plant is moist but well-draining, slightly acidic, and nutrient-rich. Regarding sunlight needs, multiplex bamboo is not difficult to please. It thrives in full sun but can grow quite vigorously in partial shade as well. You’ll also have the chance to plant this species in a garden container. However, you should know that this plant expands quickly and may soon need to move to a larger container.
Watering and nutrients
Your main goal when watering a multiplex bamboo plant is to avoid overwatering. When this plant’s roots sit in standing water, they can quickly develop root rot, which may lead to your plant’s demise. Generally, you should water your multiplex bamboo during long stretches of hot weather or during droughts. The exception to this is when the plant is 1 to 2 years old, during which time you should water weekly to aid establishment. To feed this plant correctly, apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer once per year in spring.
Pollination
The primary way in which the multiplex bamboo plant spreads its pollen is via the wind. However, it’s common for many insects to visit the flowers of a bamboo plant as well, which indicates that they may play a role in pollination as well. Still, pollination is of little concern for gardeners that grow multiplex bamboo, as this plant is neither known for its showy flowers nor for producing a set of harvestable fruits.
Pruning
Pruning is one of the most important maintenance tasks for anyone who grows a multiplex bamboo plant. Like nearly all bamboo varieties, this plant can spread incredibly quickly. In all likelihood, it will begin to overcrowd and outcompete other plants in your garden if you don’t control it. The simplest approach when pruning a bamboo plant is to remove entire canes all the way to the ground to reduce this plant’s size. Also, pruning can take place at any time of year.
Pests, diseases, and animals
Overall, the multiplex bamboo plant has decent resistance to pests and diseases. Still, there are some health issues that this plant can encounter. Some of the most common of those issues, including root rot, arise from poor watering practices, specifically overwatering. Along with that problem, a multiplex bamboo plant may also contract sooty mold or fungus. Multiplex bamboo may also experience infestations of mealybugs and scale insects. However, you can treat most of these issues by pruning out affected canes.
Achieving maximum results
The fast growth and dense spreading habit of the multiplex bamboo is simultaneously a strength and a detriment. On the one hand, this plant can fill areas quickly, spreading via rhizomes, and form a reliable privacy screen much faster than most other plants. On the other hand, that fast growth can make this plant very difficult to contain. If you plant multiplex bamboo, be ready to prune it every year to ensure it does not overtake your garden.
FAQs
Is the multiplex bamboo plant invasive?
Many gardeners are hesitant to plant bamboo as it has a reputation for being invasive. However, while this stereotype is true for many bamboo varieties, the multiplex bamboo plant is not technically listed as an invasive species as often as some of its relatives. The main difference between this plant and the more invasive forms of bamboo is that it spreads in a clumping manner rather than sending runners through the soil. This clumping characteristic results in a slower overall spread.
Where can the multiplex bamboo plant survive?
The multiplex bamboo plant is a tropical to subtropical plant, meaning that it prefers a climate that remains warm year-round. Despite that preference, compared to other bamboo varieties, multiplex bamboo is far more capable of withstanding relatively cool temperatures. This plant grows best in hardiness zones 7 through 10, but it can also survive temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is it better to grow multiplex bamboo in containers?
There are a few advantages to growing multiplex bamboo in containers. The first is that using a container can help to limit the spread of this plant. Also, containers allow you to move your bamboo plant as needed after planting. Conversely, there is some added maintenance when you plant bamboo in a container. Mainly, you'll need to keep up with pruning to keep your plant small enough for its container or continually transplant your bamboo to larger containers as it grows.
Deer Resistant
Fast Growing
Mature height
20-30 ft.
Mature width
4-6 ft.
Sunlight requirement
Full-Partial
Growth rate
Fast
Botanical name
Bambusa Glaucescens 'Alphonso Karr'
Shipping exclusions
AZ
Grows Well In Zones
7-10
Growing Zones: 7-10 i
Growing zones help determine if a particular plant is likely to grow well in a location. It identifies the average annual minimum winter temperatures across the U.S. provided as a map by the USDA.
(hardy down to -10°F)
Multiplex Bamboo
Bambusa Glaucescens 'Alphonso Karr'
Ships in 1-2 days
1-Year Warranty Eligible
Pots or accessories are not included unless specified in the product options.
