Semiarundinaria Fastuosa (A.B.F

Semiarundinaria fastuosa (A.B.F. Mitford) T. Makino Temple Palm (Arundinaria fastuosa, Arundinaria narihira, Bambusa fastuosa, Phyllostachys fastuosa) • Temple Palm, also known as Japanese Palm Bamboo, Narihira, Narihira Bamboo or Stately Bamboo, is actually a type of Bamboo, not a member of the Arecaceae as the name Temple Palm might imply; this 20 to 25 (35) tall running Bamboo has very erect culms which are rather slender, usually less than 1.5 in diameter, in comparison to its height; rhizomes sucker to form a dense colony, but individual culms have rather narrow canopies; overall the impact is of a softer texture than most of the Phyllostachys; a major asset of this taxon is the slender graceful culms which are green in youth, but frequently mature to various shades of red, red-purple or wine red by autumn; occasionally golden yellow culms occur or they remain a dark green, but this is less common; culm colors are more intense in sunny locations; plants tend to lose foliage on the lower half of the culm, favorably exposing their coloration; axillary seed heads sort of resemble wheat without the long bristle tips. • Although not as fully tested in our region as some of the other species described herein, S. fastuosa is cold tolerant to USDA hardiness zones 7(6b) to 13; plants will grow in moderate shade to full sun given suitable soils and moisture availability; drought tolerance is fair and S. fastuosa is reported to be salt tolerant enough for use in coastal regions; as we learn more about its culture in our region, uses may expand; typically it is grown as a tall screen, for windbreaks, as a tall hedge, or for slender pole production suitable for a wide variety of uses given the handsome culms. • 'Red Narihira' was selected for the strong reddish color of the culms; 'Viridis' is noted for its green to yellow culms; the genus name derives from the Latin words for half, reed, and to, in reference to its narrower reed-resembling culms; the specific epithet means proud in Latin, in reference to the strongly erect growth form.