Giant Gray

Beautiful cold hardy giant bamboo. Canes emerge green and turn ghostly gray color with sunlight exposure.

Why choose this bamboo?

Phyllostachys Nigra 'Henon' Giant Gray Bamboo is an impressive giant bamboo. This bamboo can form a great screen from about 6'-35'. Giant Gray is my favorite bamboo not only for the size and unique color but also the ability to grow great in shaded sites with poor soil and watering. Known best for its drought tolerance once established.

From Guangdong Sichuan, China this cold-hardy giant has very erect canes. The new olive green canes turn into a ghostly gray color with age. The culm sheath has wavy blades with prominent oral setae, auricles, and ligules.'Giant Gray Bamboo' grows well under a large variety of conditions, even in heavy clay soil. This is the third most grown bamboo in Japan for timber.

Climate Zone 7 expect mature size canes to be over 60 feet in height.

Climate Zone 6 expect mature size canes to be over 40 feet in height.

Climate Zone 5 it is being grown to around 18 feet with moderate top damage during winter months.

Giant gray bamboo is used in many commercial applications because of its striking appearance and low maintenance requirements. The wood is of high quality and used by many craftsmen.

This is a green form of 'Black' bamboo that assumes a gray-blue cast as the culms start to mature, giving it a ghostly gray appearance. It is a large timber bamboo and thought to be the "mother" form of the Phyllostachys Nigra 'Black' bamboo.

Plant introduction number (PI) into the U.S. 75158

Common Japanese name for Phyllostachys nigra 'Henon' is Hachiku

Species

Phyllostachys Nigra 'Henon'

Mature height

65 ft

Mature cane Ø

4.5″

Sunlight

Sun to Shade

Cold hardiness

0°F minimum

Type

Running bamboo

The plants we ship are starter divisions from established groves — and the larger the size you choose, the bigger its root system and the faster it fills in.

• For a privacy screen, plant on 5-foot centers or closer. Tighter spacing and a bigger starting size give you a solid wall of green sooner — often in 3–5 years.
• For a grove or specimen, give each plant space to spread and show its form.
• Each spring brings taller, thicker canes until the grove reaches mature size. How bamboo grows → · Planting guide →

• Light. At least 4 hours of filtered sun or more. A few large-leaf dwarf species are happy in partial shade.
• Water. Keep the soil evenly moist through the first growing season while roots establish. Once established, bamboo is quite drought-tolerant — just never let it sit in standing water.
• Soil. Not fussy. Neutral pH, well-draining loam with organic matter is ideal, but it grows well in clay too. Roots feed in the top 12″ of soil.
• Growth. New canes shoot each spring (roughly March–May), reaching full height in about 60 days. The grove fills in noticeably after about three full years.
• Feeding. A balanced, time-release fertilizer in spring can speed establishment by a year or more.
• Containing it. Running bamboo spreads by shallow underground rhizomes. Root-prune twice a year, or install Bamboo Shield for a worry-free barrier. How bamboo grows →

Bamboo thrives in large containers with good drainage — perfect for patios, balconies, and defining outdoor spaces.

• Pick a hardier plant. Containers don't insulate roots the way the ground does. For year-round pots, choose a species rated a zone or two colder than your area.
• Go big. A larger container means more root room, more insulation, and faster growth. Make sure it has drainage holes.
• Water more often. Potted plants dry out faster — check soil moisture regularly, especially in summer.
• Refresh every few years. Top-dress, or divide and repot, once the roots fill the container.

Your plant ships nursery-fresh from our family-run farm — an established, well-rooted division (never a fresh-dug start), carefully packed to travel safely.

• On arrival, unbox right away, give it a good drink, and let it settle in a sheltered spot for a few days before planting. Planting instructions →
• A little leaf drop or yellowing is normal after shipping — bamboo is evergreen and flushes fresh leaves each spring.
• Healthy-arrival guarantee. If your plant shows up in poor shape, we'll make it right. See our guarantee →