Phyllostachys aurea

Fishpole bamboo, golden bamboo, Golden Bamboo

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Fishpole bamboo is a naturalized perennial found in the Central Coast region in urban and riparian areas at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from December to May, this bamboo produces small, inconspicuous flowers typical of grass-like plants. Growing up to 10 meters tall with stiff, erect stems 1 to 4 centimeters thick, it forms dense thickets that turn yellow-green in strong sunlight. Its leaves are smooth and elongated, measuring 4 to 15 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2 centimeters wide, with nodes that are slightly swollen. This aggressive ornamental species spreads quickly by underground rhizomes, often escaping cultivation and establishing along riverbanks and disturbed landscapes.

Habitat: Escaped ornamental, spreading by rhizomes along riverbanks

Bloom period: Dec-May

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: CCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.