Phyllostachys vivax McClure cv. aureocaulis is an ornamental bamboo variety with outstanding ornamental value.

Phyllostachys vivax McClure cv. aureocaulis

I. Morphological characteristics: The culms are 5-8 m tall and up to 5-6 cm in diameter; the culms are golden yellow and very brilliant in color. The culm sheaths are densely covered with dense smoky cloud-like spots; there are no culm ears and no sheath-mouth hairs; the culm ligule is short and strongly arched in the middle, with the two sides markedly decurrent; the culm leaves are slender, with the front half strongly wrinkled. The bamboo leaves are relatively large and long and droop in clusters, making a striking appearance. The shoot period is late April.

II. Distribution and habits: It is fairly common in northern Zhejiang, mostly introduced and cultivated; it likes fertilizer and light, and is relatively cold tolerant.

III. Cultivation and management: Propagation can be done by transplanting mother culms or by culm rhizomes; the transplanting method has a high survival rate. The rhizome-section seedling method also works very well. In management, pay attention to water and fertilizer so that growth and shoot production are better.

IV. Ornamental features: The culms are a unique golden yellow and irregularly marked with dark green stripes of varying thickness; the color is brilliant and dazzling, beyond comparison with ordinary bamboo. The bamboo leaves are dense and verdant, and the bamboo's form is also graceful and varied. It produces shoots abundantly, the bamboo shoot yield is high, and the shoots are delicious. Combining greening, beautification, and food use in one, it is an ornamental and economic bamboo species with great development prospects.

V. Garden arrangement: Suitable for various landscape gardens, pot cultivation, and the creation of bamboo groves in stands.