Pleioblastus viridistriatus: Golden Bamboo with Striking Green-and-Gold Stripes

Golden Bamboo (Pleioblastus viridistriatus), syn. P. auricomus, is a running bamboo featuring showy, irregularly striped green-and-gold leaves. Reaching 3–6 feet tall and wide, it spreads aggressively via rhizomes, making it excellent for naturalizing, hedging, or screening—but it requires underground barriers to control unwanted spread. This fast-growing, invasive grass thrives in full sun to part shade with fertile, moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter.

Growing Conditions

Provide fertile, moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Control spread with barriers. Propagate by separating rhizomes in spring, keeping them moist and shaded until established. Generally problem-free.

Key Features at a Glance

• Height: 3–6 ft.
• Spread: 3–6 ft.
• Growth Habit: Running, Fast, Invasive
• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Moisture: Medium
• Maintenance: Moderate
• Characteristics: Showy Foliage
• Foliage Color: Variegated
• Uses: Beds, Borders, Containers, Ground Cover, Screening, Specimen, Woodland Garden
• Type: Grasses