Fargesia nitida 'Black Pearl' is an utterly beautiful bamboo with dark purple culms and elegant delicate foliage. This is a bamboo that has a cascading habit with the foliage flowing down from the top of the culms in the characteristic fountain shape. The culms are thinner than those of Phyllostachys nigra and in reality, less black - they are more of a dark purple although there is much variation depending on the maturity of the culm. The combination of the thin dark culms and the delicate yet lush foliage is a genuinely sensational visual treat and conjures up images of bamboo forests and cloud-hung mountains. Like many other Fargesias, the type species is an important source of food for the giant panda

Fargesia nitida 'Black Pearl' - like all Fargesias - has pachymorph rhizomes and a sympodial habit - in other words, it is a 'clumper', forming clumps rather than running amok with long underground rhizomes. Sensible precautions should nontheless be taken when planting all bamboos in the garden and it should never be located up against a building or a neighbours fence. Fargesia nidita 'Black Pearl' will also be ideal planted in a large container in semi-shade and kept well-watered.