Black Bamboo Plants

A stunning bamboo that excels in almost any setting. While it’s a running species, with proper site preparation and maintenance, it can thrive in many locations.

Its small, dark green leaves contrast beautifully with its glossy black culms. Black Bamboo is a fast grower when well-fed and watered; new culms shoot up in November, starting green and turning black as the season progresses.

Like all bamboos, Black Bamboo is highly versatile and can be thinned to highlight its culms. However, it grows bushy quickly and can outgrow containers rapidly. To prolong container growth, thin it occasionally by removing some culms at ground level.

You can control Black Bamboo’s size by keeping smaller culms and removing larger ones, or vice versa. Managing it for an open or “grove” effect often benefits the plant’s health.

Full-day sun may scorch its leaves, so afternoon shade is ideal, especially for container-grown plants.

Note: We do not recommend invasive varieties for areas with imperfect containment or inconsistent maintenance.