Bambusa lako
Timor Black Bamboo
 

Lako or Timor Black Bamboo - Bambusa lako, is native to Timor Island in Indonesia. Notable are it's brown to black culms striped with emerald green. It is an erect bamboo with few hairs on culm sheaths and occasional stripping on the culms. It is similar to Gigantochloa atroviolacea - “Tropical Black” bamboo. It is a fast grower with branches on the lower part of the culms. Much sought after by bamboo collectors. The culms turn black during the second year of culm growth.

Tender to frost with leaf burn below freezing, has withstood 27 degrees at the author's home in Houston, Texas. After the freeze, most leaves dropped, but the culms leaved out fully when weather warmed. It is not uncommon for B. lako to send up new culm shoots late in the season. It seems to like cooler weather, just not freezing temperatures.

50' tall, 3.5" dia culms, root hardy to 28 deg F

Photos from authors garden in Houston Texas

Bambusa lako - Timor Black Bamboo - Author's garden, Houston, Texas, July 2007
This clump defoliated last winter after an extended 8 hour freeze of 27 degrees. By July it had recovered completely with re-growth on one culm and three new ones.

Bambusa lako - Timor Black Bamboo, Author's garden, Houston, Texas, September 2007
This is the same clump as above, with new culm shoots already topping 25 feet tall.

New culm shoots on Lako bamboo July 2008
Authors garden, Houston, Texas

Bambusa lako, authors garden in Houston, August 2008
Planted as a one gallon start in 2006
Click image for larger photo

This is a Bambusa lako new culm shoot, authors garden, July 4, 2008