golden bamboo
Phyllostachys aurea · Poaceae
golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) is a perennial vine in the Poaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -3°F.
⚠ Invasive or noxious status. USDA lists this plant with an invasive or noxious weed status somewhere in its range. Check your state's noxious weed list before planting it — in some states it is illegal to sell or plant.
Both flags are quoted from USDA PLANTS, not inferred.
At a glance
| Type | vine Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 15 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | low USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–7.5 USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 6 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | climber Derived |
| Nursery availability | Contracting Only USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 15 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub. It grows quickly.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring, summer, fall. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 65 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 180 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 14 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Propagate it from bare root, container stock and sprigs. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated high, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Climber. In a layered planting this is it uses other plants or structures for vertical support rather than standing on its own. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- American wisteria Wisteria frutescens
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol PHAU8, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Invasive status, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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