Black Bamboo

If there is a purple version of a vegetable, that’s the one I plant. If there’s a black-flowering variety of a plant, that’s what I want in my garden. In Seattle, black mondo grass is the go-to plant for dark foliage. In it’s small way, it’s awesome. I have some planted in my yard.

I’m scared of bamboo, with its kudzu-like tendency to take over the world. I don’t trust myself to be consistent in maintenance and keep it in check. But I covet Phyllostachys nigra, the black bamboo. It looks so cool. It’s the bamboo with a leather jacket and a tattoo. I think, as far as bamboo goes, it’s relatively well behaved. But I still wouldn’t trust it.