Black bamboo

Phyllostachys nigra

Our protagonist today is the black bamboo, a beautiful plant native to the Asian continent whose stems are black. Its scientific name is Phyllostachys nigra. It can grow to an approximate height of eight meters, and its canes a thickness of 20cm. And, like all bamboos, it grows very fast as long as conditions are favorable.

If you want to have one in your garden, we tell you how to take care of it here

Black bamboo

Black bamboo care

To take care of it correctly, the following must first be taken into account:

  • Its growth rate can be easily controlled by giving it more or less water.. The more frequent the waterings, the faster and more vigorously it will grow.
  • Resists intense frosts, but if the temperature drops below -10º it will lose the leaves. But don't worry, it will sprout again in spring.
  • Prefers sunny exposures, but adapts to semi-shadow.
  • Can be potted. For example, we can have it in a large clay pot - about 45cm in diameter - on both sides of a door, thus giving an exotic touch to the place.
  • It adapts to all types of floors, including limestone.
  • Can grow alongside other bamboo species, but we advise against it for the following reason: black bamboo is a plant that doesn't really take up much space. It grows fast, but not as fast as other commercial species, which can dominate black bamboo in a short time.
  • Can be paid from spring to late summer, especially if you want to cover an area quickly.

Phyllostachys nigra covered in snow

Black bamboo is a bamboo that attracts a lot of attention thanks to the color of its stems, and the size it acquires once adult. It is, without a doubt, a very good option to have in the gardens of ... all over the world., as long as it has humidity. In fact, if it lacks water, he will let us know himself: its leaves "close" a little due to the drought. A detail that will help us to take care of it correctly.


34 comments, leave yours

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  1.   Antonio said

    Hello Monica
    Good article.
    I wanted to ask you, I have 2 bamboos in a container, they are taking out new shoots (3), they come out very diagonally, do they have to be guided or do they straighten as they look for the light?
    In fact the longest is straightening
    Thanks a hug

  2.   Antonio said

    Ah, they are Phyllostachys nigra

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Antonio.
      Thanks for your words.
      Yes, it will most likely straighten itself out. Now, if you want you can put a tutor to make it look better.
      A greeting.

      1.    Antonio said

        Thank you very much, Monica
        You are always a great help.
        A hug

        1.    Monica Sanchez said

          That's what we're for 🙂.
          A abrazo.

  3.   Antonio said

    Hi Monica, again
    Look, I know it doesn't correspond to this article, but a colleague of yours wrote an article a long time ago about Nandina.
    I asked him a question, but he has not answered me.
    You would be encouraged to write an article about the domestic Nandina or to comment on how to care for this plant.
    Thank you and I'm sorry.
    A abrazo.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      No sooner said than done, here you got it. For any questions, you know, write 🙂.

  4.   Antonio said

    Thanks, Monica
    You are a crack!
    A big hug

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Thanks to you 🙂
      Take care!

  5.   José said

    Hello Monica,
    Are there any contraindications to putting them next to a pool? How are the roots? can they break the pool? Do they release a lot of "garbage" that makes the water dirty?
    Thank you in advance for your help.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Jose.
      The roots of bamboos can extend up to 15 meters.
      I don't recommend putting them near the pool, as you could end up having problems 🙁. Many shoots come out of the roots (stolons, which are called), and then if we want to remove them… it is difficult.
      They are not very dirty, but it is preferable to put other types of plants, such as dwarf conifers for example.
      A greeting.

  6.   Rodrigo said

    Hello I see that you respond to the comments and the truth is very much appreciated for those who do not have much idea, I have 5 black bamboo plants and the leaves are very yellow in 4 of them that are in full sun and a little less in another than this in semi-shade, are they like this because of the sun or because of little watering? I don't know what's wrong with them. Could they recover in some way? Thank you very much for your time, you have a very interesting blog

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Rodrigo.
      Thanks for your words.
      Bamboo is a plant that likes the sun very much, but it is true that black bamboo prefers slightly less sunny exposures. In any case, for it to grow well it is highly recommended to water it a lot, almost as if it were a semi-aquatic plant.
      A greeting.

  7.   Alice said

    Hi Monica, I have thought to put black bamboo in a container with water rich in nitrates and expanded clay balls in the garden. Do you think it will work? And if so, how deep should the container be and can it be made of cement so as not to have problems growing? Thanks for your help

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Alicia.
      Bamboo wants a lot of water. It is better to plant in peat as it holds more moisture.
      Regarding whether it can be in a cement container, I don't think you have any problem. Anyway, if you can get anti-rhizome mesh (in nurseries) much better. This mesh will prevent the roots from spreading much further.
      A greeting.

  8.   Gabriel Campomar said

    I have a question about black bamboo since not everyone says the same. Which is the maximum diameter of the phillostachys nigra 20 cent. Or 4 cent.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Gabriel.
      The stems of black bamboo are no more than 6cm thick.
      A greeting.

  9.   Hugo said

    I have black bamboo phillotachys nigra and for a while now the leaves have turned yellow and have lost their green color that is normal it is making new shoots I do not want it to die tell me if it is normal or excess water I water it every day

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Hugo.
      It looks like excess water. I recommend you water it less, four times a week in summer and every 3 days the rest of the year.
      A greeting.

  10.   Sergio said

    Hi Monica, I have a problem of what mites look like in a hedge of this type of Bamboo.
    White spots appear on the underside of the leaves that I have treated with acaricides but it is a problem that I cannot eradicate.
    Do you know what plague it is?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Sergio.
      Could it be that I had Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (San José louse)? If they are white spots it could be.
      If so, they are treated with insect repellent, or also by cleaning the leaves with a cloth soaked in water with pharmacy alcohol.

      And if it isn't, if you want to upload an image to tinypic (or to another image hosting website), copy the link here and I'll tell you.

      A greeting.

  11.   Susana said

    Good morning, can I put this bamboo in the bathroom area? I'm worried about the hot steam from the shower, thank you.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Susan.
      Yes, you can put it if there is a lot of natural light. But it is a plant that reaches heights of more than 4 meters, and in time you will have to pass it to the garden.
      A greeting.

  12.   DANIEL HERNANDEZ said

    Hi Monica, my name is Daniel Hernández and I want to comment that I bought a black bamboo with many leaves and a height of 2,3 m app. I transplanted it and it lost all its leaves. Have you been stressed? Is it normal? Will leaves grow back or dried up?
    Gracias y saludos.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Daniel.
      It is very difficult for a bamboo to dry out 🙂
      He will have been stressed, as you say. Give it plenty of water and it will surely sprout again.
      A greeting.

  13.   Ruben said

    Hello, I wanted to ask how I could grow black bamboo if I don't have a plant and I can't find it in the nursery either…. Is there a possibility of getting seeds?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Ruben.
      You can get both plants and seeds in online stores, and also on ebay.
      A greeting.

  14.   marili said

    Hello Monica! I loved your block, it is very helpful for people who love bamboo 😉
    I ask him: I have black bamboo seedlings and at this time it is summer, in the southern hemisphere ... when does it combine to plant it? Greetings.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Marili.
      Thanks for your words.
      Being bamboo a very, very resistant plant, you can change them from pot now without problem.
      A greeting.

  15.   Adela said

    Thanks for all your tips, they are great.
    I really like black bamboo, but I wanted to ask you if it is a perennial? I don't want to put plants that drop a lot of leaves and spend all day sweeping leaves.
    Thanks for your attention.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Adela.
      It is perennial, but little by little the leaves are falling.
      Perennial when we speak of plants does not mean "something that lasts forever", but rather "leaves that fall as new ones emerge." You could say that a perennial is an evergreen plant.
      A greeting.

  16.   Esteban said

    Hello, I would like to ask the community a question, I have a question about the black bamboos that they sell in Argentina, I see that they are not usually completely black as in the photos on the internet, the photos that some suppliers sent me are medium brown canes or semi violaceous and some are mixed with green betas or a formation of green splash, a supplier from Buenos Aires says that in autumn the black bamboos drop their leaves a little and also the canes turn somewhat gray, I would like to know if these conditions Are true

  17.   Montse said

    Hello, I have a black bamboo in a wooden planter and now it is drying out, its leaves and the black trunk are turning light. What I can do?
    Thank you very much.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Montse.
      How often do you water it? Now in autumn-winter it is necessary to space the waterings, since otherwise the roots would rot. In general, it has to be watered once or twice a week in these seasons.

      By the way, does the planter have holes through which the water can escape? If it did not have them, surely the bamboo is having a hard time due to excess water.

      Greetings.