Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Grass
Grass
Origin
Middle Africa
China
Types
Perennial Grass
Timor Black Bamboo, Javanese Black Bamboo, Black Asper Bamboo
Number of Varieties
15150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Not marine, Terrícola
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-116-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12 - 4
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
120.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm460.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Lime Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Lime Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply, Water occasionally
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut or pinch the stems, Pinch Tips, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen, Phosphorous
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Flowers
Showy
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Mites
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Dermatitis, Rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Antiemetic, Antitussive, Astringent, Depurative, Diuretic, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Sedative, Styptic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Stem
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Basketary, Showy Purposes, Used for woodware, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Container, Feature Plant, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
PHYLLOSTACHYS nigra
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Black Bamboo, Running Bamboo
In Hindi
हाथी घास
काला बांस
In German
Elefantengras
schwarzer Bambus
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
bambou noir
In Spanish
pasto elefante
negro de bambú
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
μαύρο μπαμπού
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Black Bamboo
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Czarny Bambus
In Latin
elephanti herba
niger Bamboo
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Poales
Cyperales
Family
Poaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Phyllostachys Siebold & Zucc
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Paniceae
Bambuseae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Bambusoideae
Number of Species
149
1
27800
👆🏻