Description:

Chusquea culeou 'Cana Prieta' is a beautiful clumping bamboo very similar to the species, except for size.  Mature plants form an upright, columnar to vase-shaped clump about 10 feet high, and the epithet 'Cana Prieta' refers to the color of the culms, which emerge nearly black, turning burgundy-brown as they mature.  Although the new canes of this plant are supposed to have a very dark coloration, (thus the name ‘Cana Prieta’) my young plants have not yet exhibited much difference from my C. culeou.  Like the species, the nodes are nearly whored in foliage, giving the culms a tufted appearance.  It grows well for me in full sun to part shade, and to thrive, it needs rich, organic, slightly acid soils with summer irrigation. This is a very ornamental, garden-worthy bamboo, still relatively rare in cultivation.

Plant journal: 

I purchased plants from Boo-Shoot Gardens in May 2004, and planted out the same spring in a location with sandy soils and morning sun exposures.  Plants did very well over summer with lots of water.  I also fertilized with a Scotts grass fertilizer at planting and mid-summer.  In December 2004, I divided one of the plants, and most of the propagations survived in a cold frame over winter and filled out nicely during the 2005 growing season.  I transplanted the remaining plant to my trial garden at the peony farm in November 2005. 

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