The culms on this bamboo are golden with random green stripes of variable width. The golden color of the culms takes on a magenta cast when exposed to bright sunlight, as visible on the large culm in this picture. This bamboo makes a wonderful container plant. It, like other forms of Bambusa multiplex, are among the best bamboos for a well lit area indoors. Bambusas generally grow a very tight cluster of canes, and 'Alphonse Karr' is no exception, making it an excellent choice for a privacy screen where a clumping bamboo is desired. Tolerance of full sun makes it versatile, though the canes will show significant die back in the winter if exposed to temperature colder than 20 F.
