Fargesia murielae Blue Lizard - Bamboo

Fargesia murielae Blue Lizard is a non-running bamboo, of medium size, very unique with its foliage. With a slightly bluish green colour, the numerous leaves form a dense mass of vegetation. With its particularly dense base and excellent pruning ability, this variety is well-suited for container cultivation. This extremely hardy bamboo thrives in any good garden soil, preferably neutral to acidic, but also tolerates limestone. It is non-invasive, can be planted in a small garden and makes perfect hedges.

Fargesia murielae is a plant of the Poaceae family, formerly known as Gramineae. It produces woody stems that develop from a non-running rhizomatous crown, known as clump-forming. In this type of bamboo, the very short internode rhizomes develop slowly at the periphery of the crown, which gradually widens, but they also develop towards the centre of the dense clump. Another great advantage is that there is no risk of being invaded by rhizome shoots at a distance from the main clump.
This cultivar 'Blue Lizard' is a recent horticultural variety from the Well Born Bamboo Africa range, obtained by sowing and selecting the best specimens at the dawn of the 2000s. Originating from the Chinese province of Hubei, it is not expected to flower again for at least 70 years (which will lead to its death, such is the fate of bamboo).
Blue Lizard gets its name from its characteristic, beautiful green leaves with subtle blue highlights. About 8 cm long and 2 cm wide, they widen in the centre and end abruptly in a point. Present in large quantities, carried by short lateral shoots of 20 to 30 cm that are extremely hard, they overlap like the scales of a reptile, which led to the name, blue lizard. It takes some imagination to see this friendly animal in the shape of this bamboo, but the important thing is that it is very ornamental. The leaves tend to roll inward lengthwise under stress, slightly in case of drought, a little more in cold weather, but then regain their shape. In this variety, the leaf sheaths are almost white, adding to the aesthetics of the green canes on which they contrast nicely.
This medium-sized bamboo will reach a height of about 3.50 m (3 to 4 m maximum) and is recognised by its particularly dense lower part, while the canes are very erect above. This gives it a specific appearance and allows for a slightly wider spacing of the plants to form a hedge. This hedge will provide effective privacy up to a height of 2.80 to 3 m. Tolerating pruning well, this bamboo can also be grown in containers and pruned every year to limit its height. It can also be planted as a standalone clump, where its original silhouette will be highlighted.
Fargesia Blue Lizard produces its main spring shoot relatively late, which exposes it less to late frosts than other varieties. It is very well adapted to continental climates, and it can withstand temperatures as low as -25°C or even -28°C. It also shows good adaptability to soil type, growing in neutral to acidic soils and also tolerating limestone soils without excess. Only truly dry or waterlogged conditions are detrimental to it, otherwise it proves easy to grow, thriving in full sun or partial shade, and even accepting deeper shade.

As accommodating as it is ornamental, this bamboo can be planted anywhere to create an exotic scene even in cold climates, and blends remarkably well with contemporary decor thanks to its architectural shapes. If you plant it as a hedge, place plants in the foreground that will contrast in colour or leaf size, avoiding thin green foliage that visually blends with the bamboo's foliage. Acer conspicuum Red Flamingo, one of the most beautiful maples, will be perfect in this role. Its foliage, with various shades of green, cream white, and pink, carried by petioles and branches of a magnificent coral red, compete in beauty with the "snake skin" bark that is simply sublime. Another excellent choice is Cercis canadensis Eternal Flame, a Canadian Redbud with heart-shaped leaves that change colour throughout the seasons, from dark red to orange, then yellow and green before taking on fiery hues again in autumn. Its dark pink flowers that appear early in the season before its foliage will also be well highlighted against the green background of your bamboo curtain.