Devon,
United Kingdom 
My Fatsia Japonica is about four years old and has grown beautifully until this year. It has suddenly lost all its lower leaves. No sign of disease. The new growth is massive and seems to be ok. When I look at other Fatsias they grow to the ground. I can't understand what has gone wrong. It is in shade and clay soil.
2 Jul, 2016
Answers
I had one for many years and it did tend to shed lower leaves and leave a bare stem behind. one year I chopped the stems of a third off and new leaves came from the bare stems. but I lost it in the hard winters of 2010/11-11/12.
3 Jul, 2016
Thankyou both. I will try and do a photo Bamboo. My phone is a bit old.
3 Jul, 2016
Okay - even a bad photo would help, so long as the plant can be seen to a degree
3 Jul, 2016
any risk of a photograph, please?
2 Jul, 2016