Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Houseplants >> Plants for Details >> Other

Kuma Bamboo Grass (Sasa veitchii): Bicolored Leaves for Woodland Groundcover

Sasa veitchii: Dwarf Bamboo with Striking Autumn Bicolored Foliage

Sasa veitchii is a dwarf bamboo with deep-green leaves that become bicolored in autumn, developing straw-colored margins persisting into spring in warmer zones. Striking en masse or as groundcover in woodland gardens. Usually 2–3 feet tall (to 5 feet in deep shade). Spreads aggressively via rhizomes.

Seasonal Foliage Drama

Deep green leaves turn bicolored (straw margins) in autumn
Color persists into spring
Spreads 1 foot per year—install 2-foot deep barrier
Thrives in moist, deep woodlands
Formal and naturalistic uses

Growing Requirements

Light: Sun to deep shade
Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained
Water: Medium moisture
Maintenance: Low; contains spread with barrier

Propagation

Divide young rhizomes or sections in spring.

Potential Problems

Slugs, snails.

Quick Reference

Height:	3–6 ft.
Spread:	Over 30 ft. (running)
Foliage:	Evergreen, bicolored autumn/spring
Growth Rate:	Fast, aggressive
Tolerance:	Frost tolerant
Uses:	Groundcover, woodland, naturalizing, specimen, formal/naturalistic

Other: Deep Yard Hole in Massachusetts: Likely Groundhog, Armadillo, or Beaver; How Deep Should Topsoil Be for a Healthy Lawn?; Darlingtonia Pot Depth: 4" Deep Enough, But Width Matters More; Pandanus Veitchii in Toronto: Keep It Indoors Year-Round; Why Table Sugar Outperforms Vinegar for Chickweed Control and How to Apply It Year-Round; Surfinia Trailing Deep Red Petunia; Falstaff Rose: Rich Deep Crimson Aging to Purple, Strong Old Rose Fragrance; Heathcliff Rose: Large Fully Double Crimson Flowers, Moderate Fragrance, Shiny Deep Green Leaves; Growing Perennials in Containers: Long-Term Care and Division; Deep Pruning Shrubs in Winter Drought: Proper Cuts Minimize Stress

Garden Articles

Tomato Hornworms and Container Garlic: Crop Rotation and Soil Prep

Cattleya 'Deep Waters' Office Care: Light, Rest Period, and Bloom Management

Yoshino Cherry Root Depth and Septic System Safety

Assessing Planting Depth in Established Trees

Pruning Freeze-Damaged Hibiscus, Lantana, and Ixora in Florida

Measuring Deep Watering and Repairing Roundup Damage with Sod

Water Lily Planting Depth: How Deep Is Too Deep?

Plants

Correct Water Lily Depth: Raising Pots for Healthy Growth

Purple Queen® Bougainvillea – Deep Purple Blooms

SunPatiens 'Deep Rose' – Rich Rose Flowers for Any Light

Purple Passion Flower: Deep Rose-Pink with Purple Center, Firework Stamens

Purple Queen® Bougainvillea: Deep Purple Blooms, Compact Upright

Planting Depth Guide for Bulbs and Tubers

Yoshino Cherry Planted Too Deep: Diagnosing and Managing Root Collar Burial