BLACK BAMBOO
Black Bamboo has become increasingly popular as a landscape feature and is used widely as an ornamental or screening plant. It is also popular for furniture making as well as ornamental bamboo screens.
Black bamboo species and cultivars include : Timor Black Bamboo (Bambusa lako), Javanese Black Bamboo, Java Black or Atro Bamboo (Gigantochloa atroviolacea), Black Asper Bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper var. Hitam or 'Pring Betung Hitam' ), Black Brandisii Bamboo (Dendrocalamus brandisii var. black) and others. Consult with suppliers for exact descriptions and growing habits before planting any bamboo.
Black bamboo is popular throughout Australia. We provide a brief description of Black Bamboo Species for Brisbane, Gold Coast and Queensland, Sydney and New South Wales, Melbourne and Victoria.Adelaide and South Australia, Darwin and The Northern Territory. Consult with suppliers for exact descriptions and growing habits before planting any bamboo.
BLACK BAMBOO SPECIES
We review and provide further information on Black Bamboo plant varieties
- Timor Black Bamboo (Bambusa lako)
Timor Black Bamboo is a medium size (12 - 16m) clumping black bamboo. Timor Black is upright glossy, a nice black with some green stripes. Very popular in QLD and NSW. Perhaps suited as far south as South Coast of NSW. Further south it needs a protected position.
- Javanese Black Bamboo, Java Black or Atro Bamboo (Gigantochloa atroviolacea)
Will grow 12 -16m and will do well further south than Timor Black although it does suffer from heavy frosts. Perhaps not as tidy as Timor Black after winter.
- Black Asper Bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper var. Hitam or 'Pring Betung Hitam' )
Black Asper Bamboo is originally from Java and is used widely for timber and also young shoots are harvested for culinary use. Fast growing Bamboo in warmer areas. Dendrocalamus asper betung hitam is a larger growing cultivar.
- Black Brandisii Bamboo (Dendrocalamus brandisii var. black)
Will grow to 20m + in ideal conditions, but usually 10 - 15m. 20cm culms. Reported to be one of the best 'cold tolerant' black bamboos.
- New Guinea Black Bamboo (Bambusa 'New Guinea Black')
Very similar to Java Black
- Giant Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra)
A running bamboo originally from Taiwan and China also known as 'Kuretake' (used to brush handles for caligraphy) . Phyllostachys nigra is a fairly vigorous running bamboo and should be grown in containers or with an effective root control system to prevent it becoming invasive. New shoots are green but turn black.
- Guadua angustifolia (Guadua 'peruana')
Widely used in Central America for furniture and building. This one starts of as green shoot then turns black and then back to green. Seems to be running bamboo and grows to 20m +
- Dinochloa scandens (Bambusa scandens Blume)
This one is relatively newly discovered (we know very little about it) and is rare in cultivation. If you are looking for a black climbing black bamboo and live in the tropics, this could be the one?ΔΆ But do some research first.
|
