I purchased this plant from Raintree Nursery in March 1998, and planted it out on a corner of the house where it receives a half day of sun.  This bamboo has thrived in native silty loam with no fertilizer, and little summer irrigation.  As the planting spreads, I have noticed that the new shoots in the shaded interior of the plant emerge nearly black before turning a dusky green, then fading to a lighter green by the end of the growing season.  In combination with the white, powdery rings beneath each node, the spring coloring is quite striking.  The leaves of this bamboo are somewhat curled, which creates a fine textural quality. 

As of summer 2004, the largest culm in this planting is about 20’ high with a .75” diameter.  In order to contain this bamboo to an 8’ x 8’ planting bed, I have taken many, many divisions, both from the interior and the perimeter; it’s hard to say what size the culms might have reached if the planting were left to run.  Unlike most, the severed rhizomes of this bamboo will survive our winters, and send up shoots in spring.  This is great for propagation, but could create problems for containment. 

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