Indocalamus tessellatus

Indocalamus tessellatus, the large-leaved bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to China. A medium-sized, hardy evergreen bamboo growing to 2 m, it forms a clump of broad leaves 60 cm long and up to 10 cm wide – the broadest of any bamboo – which cause the slender cane to bend under their weight. Though hardy down to -15 C and able to survive conditions in most of the UK, it prefers a sheltered site in semi-shade with moist, rich soil. Given the best conditions possible, it will eventually form large thickets or groves, but can be kept in a large container. In cultivation in the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.