Bambusa Textilis var. Gracilis – Slender Weavers Bamboo is overwhelmingly the number one best selling bamboo for suburban privacy screening. It is a beautiful and Graceful bamboo with dense bushy green foliage that is evergreen.
Gracilis is a clumping, non-invasive bamboo that has a shallow root system. The typical footprint is 1.5 - 2 meters base diameter. The fact that it’s a tight clumping bamboo means you need not worry about it spreading out of control as the new shoots stay close to the clump, which grows in a circular formation.
It is the best choice for an upright vertical screen where space is tight as it will not fan out as much as most other bamboo varieties. Gracilis also has the smallest clump diameter to height ratio that makes it particularly suitable to backyard planting in comparison to other clumping bamboos. This means that Gracilis can be planted in very narrow garden beds in as little as 40cm as a minimum, this makes this wonderful clumping bamboo ideal for most Sydney gardens which are getting ever smaller with Sydney’s population growth and medium density housing. So, if you're looking for superior screening plants for fences that can cover two story buildings, you need to seriously consider Gracilis, the non-invasive clumping Bamboo.
Many people have problems solving how to grow a suitable privacy screen in narrow garden beds and Slender Weavers can easily solve this problem which makes it the best choice from all other screening plants on the market. The bamboo will be slightly shorter however in height when planted in a narrow bed or in pots or troughs due to the restricted planting area.
To achieve a thick, dense bushy screen, plant the bamboo one meter apart from each other or if you have a large area that needs screening you can plant them at 1.5-meter centres instead. For free advice, we encourage you to bring photos of your planting area before viewing the bamboo so that we can give you the best information for your particular needs and circumstances for your yard as each situation has a specific solution.
Gracilis can grow to 6-8 meters, typically around 6 meters in Sydney and it’s easily trimmed to your required height. The culms (stems) are easy to bend once they reach their full height so you can cut to a 3 or 4-meter hedge simply by bending the stems towards the ground and cutting with secateurs as the culms are typically just 2-3cm thick. This is best done once a year and end of winter, just prior to the growing season would be a good time to do this.
Gracilis is a super fast grower and you can have a fantastic screen in as soon as 18 months. The growing season for clumping bamboo in Sydney is October to April but you can plant at any time of the year as our winters are mild. If you buy one of our advanced 4-5 meter bamboos in 30cm pots you can get to this even quicker.
Gracilis bamboo is drought and frost tolerant once established (-12) but will require good watering for the first 8 weeks when planted and in summer, especially during very hot days. Mulch is essential when you plant the bamboo to decrease evaporation, it also keeps the soil warm in winter and cool in summer. It can grow in most soil types but prefers free draining soil in full sun or part shade.
Gracilis is easy to plant and to maintain but there are few important steps to follow for best practice and success. Gracilis Bamboo Sydney gives an easy to follow ‘Planting And Maintenance Guide” to our valued customers upon purchase.