Phyllostachys nigra /ˈnɪɡɹə/
Common name: Black bamboo
Phyllostachys nigra is a running bamboo native to China, celebrated for its slender culms that emerge green and gradually deepen to a glossy jet black over two to three years. It forms an elegant, open grove of dark canes topped with fine, bright-green foliage, typically reaching 4.5–9 m in good conditions. It is one of the most popular ornamental bamboos, grown as a specimen plant, screen, or hedge, and its dark stems are also harvested for furniture, musical instruments, and crafts. As a runner, it spreads by underground rhizomes and is usually confined with a root barrier in gardens.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to partial shade; best culm color in sun
Water
Keep evenly moist; dislikes drought, especially when establishing
Soil
Rich, moist, well-drained loam; slightly acidic to neutral
Hardiness
Zones 7–10
Mature height
4.5–9 m (15–30 ft)
Pet safe
Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
By rhizome or culm division in early spring, before new shoots emerge
Fun facts
- New culms are bright green and only turn their signature glossy black after two or three growing seasons.
- In Japan it is called kuro-chiku and has long been prized for tea-house architecture and traditional crafts.
- Its dark canes are used to make flutes, furniture, walking sticks, and umbrella handles.
- The cultivar 'Henon' is the wild green-culmed ancestral form and grows much taller than the common black form.