玉山箭竹屬常綠灌木，原產臺灣及菲律賓呂宋島。根莖匍匐，稈叢生；竹稈直立，節上小枝簇生。在空曠處竹稈高度僅 0.2~0.5m間；但混生於針葉林內時，竹稈高可達4m以上。地下莖在每年4~5月間萌發新芽。互生狹披針形葉，細鋸齒緣。暗紅色的花穗上著生5~9朵花，花期3~5月。果橄欖形。

An evergreen shrub in the genus Yushania, native to Taiwan and Luzon Island in the Philippines. Rhizomes prostrate, stalks tufted; bamboo stalks erect, branchlets tufted at the nodes. The bamboo stalk is only 0.2-0.5 m high in open fields; it can reach more than 4 m high in coniferous forest. Underground stems germinate from April to May each year. Leaves alternate, narrow lanceolate, finely serrated. Dark red flower spikes bear 5-9 flowers, flowering from March to May. Fruit olive-shaped.

全日照或半日照冷涼氣候，耐寒、耐旱、耐風、耐貧瘠。以種子或分株繁殖。

The plant grows well in full sun, partial sun and cold climates; tolerant to cold, drought, wind and barren. Propagated by seeds or ramets.

嫩筍可以食用，稈可編竹籬及製作各種工藝品。原住民用竹稈製作陷阱及製箭以獵補動物。台東布農族取竹稈去節做成鼻笛。

Young bamboo shoots are edible, the stalks can be woven into bamboo hedges, and made into various crafts. Aboriginal people use bamboo stalks to make traps and arrows to hunt animals. The Bunung people in Taitung take bamboo stalks with the nodes removed to make nose flutes.