Find a plant:

Genus Sasa

Sasa veitchii Photo/Illustration: Chris Curless

SAH-sah

The genus Sasa is comprised of 40 to 50 species of small to medium-sized, running bamboos from Japan, Korea, and China. Stems are smooth and cylindrical, with bristly sheaths. Most species have large, thick, toothed, checkered leaves. Use Sasa species as a groundcover under trees, or as a hedge or screening. Plant in containers to control the running rhizomes. These plants tolerate full sun or deep shade.
Noteworthy characteristics: Smooth stems with bristly sheaths. Adaptable to a variety of growing conditions.
Care: Tolerates most soils except dry soil in full sun. Prefers fertile, organically rich, moist but well-drained soil. Can be grown in full sun to deep shade. Plant in containers and plunge into the soil to slow spread.
Propagation: In spring, divide or cut sections of the youngest rhizomes.
Problems: Generally trouble-free, but slugs may eat the emergent shoots.

Species, varieties and cultivars for genus Sasa

Sasa veitchii
(Kuma bamboo grass, Kuma zasa)

(1 user review)

Hardiness Zones:

This dwarf bamboo has deep-green leaves that become bicolored with the onset of autumn. The leaves then exhibit straw-colored margins, which persist into spring in warmer zones. It is a striking plant en masse or as groundcover in a woodland garden. It usually grows to 2 or 3 feet tall, but may reach 5 feet tall in deep shade.