Fargesia murielae Panda

The Fargesia murielae 'Panda'  is a variety of non-invasive bamboo with a very dense base, of beautiful stature and adorned with evergreen leaves of a bright almond green, attractive throughout the year. It is often called Umbrella Bamboo, due to its gracefully trailing habit. This bush grows rapidly in height but slowly spreads over the years without ever becoming invasive. 'Panda' is therefore particularly suitable for creating a trimmed or untrimmed hedge, a windbreak or privacy screen, both in the ground and in pots. This bamboo, very cold-resistant, prefers semi-shade and well-drained, fresh, non-chalky soil.

Fargesia murielae is a plant of the Poaceae family, a type of grass with woody stems that develops from a non-invasive rhizomatous base, known as clump-forming. In this type of bamboo, the very short internode rhizomes develop slowly at the periphery of the stump, which gradually expands, but they also develop towards the centre of the clump, which remains very dense without thinning out in the middle. Umbrella bamboo, also known as Sinarundinaria murielae, is native to the mountains of central China and is one of the hardiest bamboos. It has survived in Eastern European countries with very harsh winters.

The cultivar 'Panda', recently selected in Denmark, is a form similar to the 'Jumbo' variety but with more vigorous growth. 'Panda' forms a compact clump at the base, widening upwards, reaching a height of about 2.50m (8 ft 2 in) to 3m (9 ft 10 in). In the long run, the plant will spread over 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) to 2m (6 ft 7 in) on the ground. The canes or culms are upright, slender, 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter but sturdy, green in colour and covered with bloom when young. Over time, they take on a more yellow to orange colour. The foliage present on the culms is evergreen and distributed almost throughout their height. Abundant, the leaves are larger and wider than those of other varieties. They are lanceolate and tapered at their tips, with a very tender green hue.

The Fargesia murielae Panda, with its dense stems and foliage, evergreen and fast growth, is perfect for creating a windbreak, a noise screen or a trimmed or untrimmed hedge. It will also have a great effect as a standalone plant or integrated into a shrub bed, or even in a large pot or container on the balcony or terrace. To brighten and animate its foliage in summer it can be paired with a viticella-type clematis with red flowers (Madame Julia Correvon, purpurea Plena Elegans, Avant Garde), whose small foliage will blend naturally into the vegetation of the Panda bamboo. Tall grasses, giant cannas, and tall dahlias (Dahlia imperialis) will also be good companions for this magnificent bamboo.