Black bamboo looks beautiful throughout the year. Its tall, attractive green and black stems (culms) are glossy and offer vertical architectural appeal. This species has been cultivated for centuries in its native China and few wild populations are known to exist. There are many desirable cultivated varieties to choose from that vary in height, vigor and stem color.
Like many large bamboos, this species spreads via dense, fast-spreading rhizomes and forms large colonies. The newly emerging culms are lush bright green and deepen to black.