May 20, 2019
Plant of the Day
Monday 20 May 2019
A fountain of foliage at the back of the border is formed by Fargesia scabrida (umbrella bamboo, fountain bamboo). This is a vigorous plant with upright culms (stems). The new culms are covered with orange sheaths that eventually open to expose blue, purplish culms which slowly fade to an emerald green. This clump forming bamboo comes from the high altitude mountains of the Sichuan province in China, and though I didn’t see one in The Beth Chatto Garden, Essex, it is said to be an important food source for the famous Giant Panda!
Jill Raggett
