Side by side
Bamboo or sacred bamboo? How to tell them apart
Phyllostachys · Nandina domestica
How to tell them apart – bamboo: true grass stems with nodes and simple, long leaves; sacred bamboo: evergreen shrub with cane-like stems, finely divided leaves that turn red, and clusters of red berries.
How do you recognise them?
- Bamboo
- Evergreen, woody grass canes with nodes and narrow, lance-shaped leaves.
- Compared with sacred bamboo: true grass stems with nodes and simple, long leaves.
- Sacred bamboo
- Evergreen shrub with cane-like stems, finely divided leaves that turn red, and clusters of red berries.
| Bamboo | Sacred bamboo | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Narrowly lance-shaped, 5–15 cm, in fans on thin side shoots. | Alternate, up to 50 cm long, two to three times pinnate with narrow, pointed, untoothed leaflets (3–10 cm); red when young, often red to purple in winter. |
| Flowering | Flowers rarely, sometimes only after decades. | Large clusters of small white flowers with yellow stamens, in June–July (June–July). |
| Fruit | – | Clusters of glossy red berries in autumn and winter; poisonous. |
| Bark | Hollow canes with distinct nodes; in Phyllostachys a groove above each side branch. | Upright, sparsely branched, cane-like stems. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 3–8 m | Shrub, 1–2 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Pruning months | March–April | March–April |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Sacred bamboo is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
Read on
- Plant profile: Bamboo
- Plant profile: Sacred bamboo
- Bamboo: when and how to prune
- Sacred bamboo: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.