Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’

Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’ is a small, bushy variegated bamboo with long, light green leaves striped with cream.

👨‍🌾GARDENING TIPS👨‍🌾: Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’

• • ⚠️ This bamboo requires the installation of a rhizome barrier as it likes to run
  • You can prune it back to keep it shorter if you prefer – plants grown in containers remain smaller than those planted in the ground.
  • The screening power of its foliage and its rapid growth make it an excellent choice for masking an unwanted view or creating an effective windbreak.
  • Looks great with Echinacea purpurea, Verbena bonariensis

Learn more about gardening with Borage:

• • ENG: Gardening with Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’ 
  • FR : Jardiner avec la Hibanobambusa tranquillans

The Tale & The Botany: Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’

This variegated form appeared in 1977 as a variant of a plant then called Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Kemmei’ that occurred three years after its flowering.

This species is now thought to be a naturally occurring intergeneric hybrid that occurred in the 19th century between Phyllostachys nigra and Sasa veitchii from Honshu, Japan and it has more recently been described with the name × Phyllosasa tranquillans. From this cross it has inherited the 2 branches per node of Phyllostachys and the large leaves of a Sasa.

The specific epithet is from the Latin word ‘tranquillo’ meaning “quiet”, “calm”, “still” or “tranquil” but the reasoning behind its naming was not given by the author of the name.

It is a plant of the grass family (Poaceae), a type of woody-stemmed grass that develops from a running rhizomatous rootstock – allowing for its ability to survive difficult environmental conditions.

In this type of bamboo, the rhizomes spread outward from the base, which quickly expands and colonizes large areas.

What is a rhizome?

A rhizome is the main stem of the plant that runs typically underground and horizontally to the soil surface. It looks like a giant finger – or the continuation of the plant in its underground version.

They are extremely useful as the plant uses them to store starches, proteins, and other nutrients. This matters when new shoots must be formed or when the plant dies back for the winter.

The danger in rhizomes is that, if a rhizome is separated, each piece may be able to give rise to a new plant.

This is a process known as vegetative reproduction and is used by farmers and gardeners to propagate certain plants – but if you are a gardener, you also know that this is what makes bamboo impossible to eradicate.

Floral Morphology: Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’

Flowering in Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’ is extremely rare and irregular, as is typical of many bamboos. I haven’t seen it happen yet but it looks magical in the photos I’ve seen.

The inflorescences consist of small, inconspicuous grass-like spikelets borne along the culms.

No ornamental value is attributed to the flowers; the plant is cultivated almost exclusively for its foliage and habit.

Reproductive Biology

Hibanobambusa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’ reproduces primarily through vegetative propagation via its running rhizome system, which allows the plant to spread efficiently and form dense colonies.

Sexual reproduction through seed is exceptionally rare due to infrequent flowering cycles that may occur only once over several decades.

When flowering does occur, pollination is anemophilous (wind-driven), and seed set is unpredictable.

In cultivation, the cultivar is propagated by rhizome division to maintain its variegated characteristics, as seedlings do not reliably reproduce the cultivar’s traits.