Phyllostachys edulis 'Mira'

Most valuable ornamental bamboo in subtropical zones

Location:

Huzhou City, China

What's Mira Bamboo?

Mira bamboo is a natural mutation of kikko bamboo from China.

Mira bamboo was first found in a kikko bamboo (tortoise shell bamboo) plantation in Huzhou City Zhejiang Province China by Mr. Chen in 2002. But that particular mutation didn't survive before it produced any new shoots. Fortunately, in 2004, Mr. Chen found another one. This time he didn't want to let it fade and tried his best to propagate this miracle bamboo from rhizome cuttings. It was not easy at the beginning as the mutation was not genetically stable. A lot of new shoots went back to normal moso without showing the tortoise shell shape or yellow stripes. But Mr. Chen had great passion and patience.

After 10+ years of propagation and selection, a beautiful hill of 300+ Mira bamboo plants was presented in front of us in 2019 when our bamboo tour group reached Anji. It truly opened our eyes and mouths. Such an elegant bamboo with yellow-green shining in the sun. Its leaves are gracile and perfectly displayed. Some leaves also show yellow strips.

In 2012, this mutation had its official name Phyllostachys edulis 'Mira' by Chinese botanist Peixin Zhang. Mira in Latin means wonderful, amazing, extraordinary, etc. I didn't have a chance to talk with Mr. Zhang personally but I believe he wanted to deliver the message that this bamboo is truly a wonder. To us, it's surely a miracle.

Phyllostachys edulis mira plant for sale

Can I grow Mira Bamboo?

As we said above, Mira bamboo is a mutation of kikko bamboo, and kikko is a mutation of moso.

If you are planting or you see the planting of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) in your area, congratulations, Mira bamboo will love your climate. If you are still now sure, the below criteria might help:

Mira was found in Huzhou City with a latitude of 30°23′—30°53′ North. It's a typical sub-tropical zone with a temperature below 10 centigrade in winter. If the lowest temperatures in your cold/cool seasons are above 10 centigrade, this bamboo won't like it. We already received a lot of interest from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, etc, but unfortunately, they are not the right land for Mira bamboo, unless you are in a highland where the temperature can go below 10 centigrade.

As a special mutated bamboo, its best value is ornamental. You can either grow it in the ground of your garden or keep it in a pot as a bonsai.

Its turtle shell-shaped culm is perfect for DIY material of some handicrafts or furniture after it's too old to produce new shoots. But we have difficulty keeping the yellow color on the culm after drying. If you have the technique of maintaining the natural color of the bamboo after drying, you are more than welcome to contact us.

Mira bamboo is a treasure to the owner who did spend a lot to get enough stock before he was ready to sell in 2020. Its price is still not low, but much more reasonable now than in 2020.

After trial shipping in the spring of 2023, the Yunnan Bamboo team is now confident to offer 2-3 years old plants for sale. Shipping is only suggested in Springtime to ensure high survival. We take pre-orders year-round with a deposit and will ship all orders in Feb-March 2024 by air.

If you are interested in getting the plants, pls go to our shop page.