Bambusa lako
An outstanding ornamental species as a landscape specimen when planted in the right place.
We do not recommend this for oceanfront installations nor for arid areas.
A stunning plant from East Timor in the Indonesian Archipelago, this species has shiny black canes with intermittent green stripes.
This plant is relatively vertical for a tropical bamboo and with judicious trimming can be pruned out to resemble the form of the great Japanese and Chinese running bamboos – that is, when the older, smaller canes are removed from the clump, the look of an open grove can be achieved with periodic maintenance.
The plant generally attains a height somewhere between 40 and 60 feet, depending on location. Canes are about 4” in diameter. This plant is quick to size and stature. The canes emerge green, turn a rich koa brown, and darken to real black.
The lumber is good enough for many uses but if you want want black bamboo that is strong enough for structural construction, please see Black Asper (Betung Hitam) and Java Black (Gigantochloa atroviolacea).