SASA. East Asia. A large group of bamboos, although most of the material once sold under this name is now included in Pleioblastus or Indocalamus (see these listings). They belong to the “running” category, forming dense, broad thickets by means of underground rhizomes. This makes them useful in informal hedges and in filling large empty spaces, but requires that they be restrained in mixed plantings. They have slender stems with one or a few branches at each node, and large, broad, conspicuously veined leaves. Sun or part shade, most soils, moderate to regular watering. Hardy to 0^oF or less.

kurilensis. Reputedly the hardiest of all bamboos, coming from the Kuril Islands and other parts of Japan and Korea. It makes quickly spreading thickets, with profusely branched stems 3-8' high. An interesting feature is the prominent band of white wax at each node. The leaves are 3-8" long, deep green and shiny above, paler beneath.

megalophylla. Karl Bareis once gave me a flowering plant of a variegated clone of this species to revive. The doctor's best efforts failed, but several seeds sprouted, yielding some very attractive, though entirely green leaved, seedlings. All are quite dense, with shorter rhizomes than the other large leaved sasas. The stems arch out for a fountainlike effect. The leaves are up to 5" long, relatively broad, dark and softly shiny. We have dubbed the most compact clone ‘Densa’. These should be beautiful subjects for tubs.

palmata var. nebulosa. Highly ornamental, though—I am told—potentially a fearsome invader. It has slender stems up to 8' tall, standing quite erect and clothed in pale tan bracts. Broad, tapered leaves 1' or more long, dark green and softly shiny above, are clustered near the branch tips. It makes a beautiful specimen for tubs and other confined spaces but probably should not be turned loose in the open garden.

tessellata. See Indocalamus tessellatus.

veitchii. A smaller (under 3') but more vigorously spreading plant. The shiny, dark green leaves, up to 8" long, dry around the margins in fall and winter giving an attractive variegated effect.