Black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) is one among the foremost common decorative sorts of bamboo in China and Japan, however it's additionally one among the oldest sorts of bamboo grown within the u. s., having 1st been introduced into the country in 1827. Black bamboo will grow anywhere from twenty to thirty feet in height and features a diameter of one to a pair of inches. Black bamboo is basically admired by gardeners as a result of its little, bright inexperienced leaves distinction sharply with the deep black color of the shoots, or culms. As a building material for furniture, fencing, bars or partitions, black bamboo is likewise admired for its color and end.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Black bamboo doesn't do well in hot and dry, windy weather. it's an estimated temperature tolerance of 0˚ Fahrenheit and has been known to grow in states like Washington, D.C. and Maryland. However, whereas black bamboo will survive in such climates, it's unable of growing to its fullest potential. within the u. s., it thrives most within the cooler climates of the Pacific Northwest.
When growing black bamboo during a home garden, it’s suggested that you just plant it during a protected, enclosed house where it will keep cool throughout its dormant amount within the winter. Black bamboo species additionally need lots of water within the summer. Black bamboo features a running root system, requiring a thick layer of made topsoil (4 - half-dozen inches). Bark mulch with horse manure or compost work fine and provides a perfect high layer through that the bamboo’s rhizomes will unfold simply.
Growth and Color amendment
When P. nigra shoots emerge from the bottom around April or could, they're not black, however rather coated in light-weight burgundy culm sheaths. These specialised sheaths are there to shield the young and still fragile bamboo shoots. By June, black bamboo shoots have finished growing. At now, the branches begin to unfold and also the young culm sheaths are shed. Beneath them may be a bright green-colored shoot. the colour begins to alter in mid-summer, when the shoots begin to develop dark brown mottling round the nodes and close to the bottom. By winter, the shoots are densely coated with little black spots that get particularly thick towards the bottom. By the time spring comes around once more, black bamboo plants have undergone the entire color transformation, from young inexperienced to deeply black mature shoots.
Varieties of Black Bamboo
There are many totally different sorts of black bamboo. one among the foremost common ones is that the Bambusa lako, that stands exceptionally upright. Its shoots are a highly polished black with horizontal inexperienced stripes. It will take up to 2 seasons, betting on the scale of the plant, to show totally black. The Gigantochloa atroviolacea, on the opposite hand, turns a deep black color quickly, though it's a less polished black than the Bambusa lako. The bamboo kind referred to as the Black Asper is one among the thickest of the black bamboos. With a cane diameter of eight to ten inches, it needs lots of house to grow.