How big does Robust clumping bamboo grow?

About 3.5 m × 1.5 m after ten years (height × width). Its ultimate size is 3–5 m × 1–1.5 m.

What soil does Robust clumping bamboo grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, calcareous, acidic.

Is Robust clumping bamboo hardy?

Hardy down to -18 °C (USDA zone 6, RHS H6). In the colder parts of the country (Greater Poland Voivodeship, Holy Cross Voivodeship, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Łódź Voivodeship, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Lublin Voivodeship, Lubusz Voivodeship, Masovian Voivodeship, Opole Voivodeship, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Silesian Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship) it may not survive winter without protection.

How far apart should Robust clumping bamboo be planted?

Planted on its own, it needs 1 m between plants. For a hedge, allow 1.5 plants per metre.

How much water does Robust clumping bamboo need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: low.

Robust clumping bamboo

Fargesia robusta

Robust clumping bamboo (Fargesia robusta) is an ornamental grass that reaches 3.5 m × 1.5 m after ten years. Light: part shade, full sun. Hardy down to -18 °C. Drought tolerance: low.

Illustration of Robust clumping bamboo — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A clump-forming bamboo that does not run: the clump only thickens slowly and stays where you plant it, so it needs no rhizome barrier. It is one of the tallest and most upright umbrella bamboos and makes a dense, narrow evergreen screen; in spring the white sheaths on the new canes give them a chequered look. It takes more sun than the other umbrella bamboos, but in hot, dry summers it is grateful for afternoon shade and regular watering, and it is more sensitive to hard winters than its hardier relatives, so give it a spot sheltered from wind.

Watch out for

It is less hardy than the other garden umbrella bamboos: reliable to about -18 °C (some sources quote much lower figures, but the experience of bamboo nurseries does not bear them out). In the harder, snowless, windy winters of Central Europe the foliage browns and drops and canes can be killed back, so plant it in a sheltered position, mulch the base and water it on frost-free winter days. In hot, dry summers the leaves yellow or scorch in full sun and growth stalls, so water generously or give it afternoon shade. It fails in waterlogged soil. Slugs may eat the new shoots.

Key facts

Light: Part shade, Full sun
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 3.5 m × 1.5 m
Hardiness: down to -18 °C
Foliage: Evergreen

All details

Group	Ornamental grass
Light	Part shade, Full sun
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 1.5 m
Ultimate size	3–5 m × 1–1.5 m
Hardiness	down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Calcareous, Acidic
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	no data
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no data
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	no data
Distance from paving	no data
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	100 cm
For dogs	no data
For cats	no data
For children	no data
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 26, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Hedge plants Evergreen hedge plants Plants for screening Evergreen plants Ornamental grasses

Guide on the topic

Fast-growing hedges: how much each grows in a year The fastest hedge plant is the Leyland cypress, growing about 90 cm a year, followed by cherry laurel 'Novita', firethorn and western red cedar at about 50 cm a year, then privet at 40 cm. How long a 180 cm hedge takes to screen depends more on the size of plant you buy: several years from small plants, one or two summers from large ones, but at many times the price per metre. The tables use the current shop prices in your country.

Planting a hedge: how many plants per metre, and what it costs Most hedge plants go in at 2-4 plants per metre: Leyland cypress 2, cherry laurel and photinia 2.5 (40 cm apart), yew 3, hornbeam 3.5, privet and beech 4. The plants go in one row, 80 cm from the fence, in autumn or early spring. What the hedge costs depends most on the size of the plants: the table works it out at today's shop prices in your country, for the length of your own hedge.

Looks good next to it

Mountain pine

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Alpine betony

Stachys monieri

Western red cedar

Thuja plicata