Fargesia nitida
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Chinese Fountain Bamboo, Clump-Forming Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo and fountain bamboo.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H5 — -15 to -10°C -15 to -10 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Clay, Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Propagation
- In spring, propagate by division or by cuttings of the rhizomatous roots.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Divide, or in spring take cuttings from sections of young rhizomes.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- In spring, cut out stems that are weak, dead, damaged or spindly, and thin the clump so the stems are displayed well. Remove flowering shoots as soon as they appear to discourage further ones (see bamboo cultivation).RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Slugs can damage new shoots. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Move something and watch
Loading the simulator. It needs JavaScript; the care table above does not.
Photographs
About the plant
Fargesia nitida, commonly named blue fountain bamboo, is a clumping bamboo native to Sichuan, China. it is medium to small and very cold-hardy, but not tolerant of very high summer temperatures. The species bloomed in the years 2002–2005, so is not expected to bloom again for another 120 years.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- Qinghai to N. & C. ChinaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Qinghai to North and Central ChinaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026N ChinaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- temperateWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- bambooWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Ornamental Grasses and Sedges; habit arching, clumping, erect, weepingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Clump forming (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 120–180 in; width 36–60 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 2.5-4 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Wind carries its pollen, and each plant bears flowers of both sexes. Flowering comes only after gaps of years and takes so much of the plant's energy that some plants die afterwards, though many look ragged for a few years and then recover.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Made into light fences, baskets and sieves. It is the main food of giant pandas.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
More of the Poaceae family
Plants with similar care
AcajouSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Acorus gramineusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Alberta Prayer PlantSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetAlocasia azlaniiSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetAlocasia lauterbachianaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Alocasia micholitzianaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.