The striking rich colour of black bamboo at The Oriental Bamboo in Thailand
Let’s get something straight: black bamboo is drop-dead gorgeous. Possibly the most beautiful of the entire bamboo clan—and still, bizarrely, no one knows it exists. It’s like the George Clooney of grasses: tall, dark, handsome… and weirdly underrated.
We’re not talking about some delicate houseplant here. This is serious stuff—Dendrocalamus Asper Negra—the deep chocolate sibling of the better-known blonde Dendrocalamus Asper. Structurally, they’re basically twins. Same strength, same size (up to 15cm diameter), same sustainable superpowers. But Negra comes dressed for the red carpet.
And then there’s Java Black Bamboo. Sleeker, thinner, denser—basically the designer version of a samurai sword. Perfect for luxury bamboo furniture, wall detailing, and anything that wants to say “I’m minimalist, but I mean business.”
Together, Asper Negra and Java Black tick all the boxes for both bamboo architecture and interiors. Roof? Sorted. Beams? Yep. Lounge chairs that make architects cry with joy? Absolutely.
Asper Black panelling on show at the new Bamboo U Kitchen
So why hasn’t the world caught on?
Honestly, good question. Here in Thailand, black bamboo is still the best-kept secret in sustainable construction materials. There’s one farm near Pattaya growing Tali Black (slender and stylish) and Asper Negra (big and bold). But it’s not widely used, partly because importing from places like Bali is expensive—and because no one’s shouting about it. Yet.
In Bali, one of the top suppliers (the same folks behind the Green School and Green Village) works with black bamboo. Meanwhile, everyone else is still fumbling around with plain old yellow poles.
Enter Linda Garland: Bamboo Diva
This story wouldn’t be complete without a shout-out to the late, great Linda Garland—the woman who saw a photo of black bamboo and, with trademark style, said:
“Take me to this in the forest.”
John Hardy recalls: “It took a long time to find it. But she did.”
And thank goodness. She helped put black bamboo on the map—well, a very niche designer’s map, but still. Without her, we might all still be building with beige.
One of the iconic hexagonal Yurts at Bamboo U in Bali, built with Java Black
The Future Is Black (Bamboo)
In a talk at Bamboo U, Orin Hardy dropped this prophetic line:
“Black bamboo is going to be a big hit in design in ten years.”
Why? Because it’s rare. Because it’s stunning. And because—fun fact—they don’t even have black bamboo in Brazil. The design world is hungry for new textures, tones, and materials that tick the eco-friendly box while still looking like a million bucks. Black bamboo does all that—and more.
Even Ibuku’s Lucas couldn’t resist:
“That’s the most beautiful black bamboo I’ve ever seen.” (referring to a Costa Rican batch, probably from Bamboo Tica.)
TL;DR?
If you’re into architectural bamboo, sustainable building materials, or just want your bamboo furniture to look like it belongs in a Bond villain’s jungle lair—black bamboo is your new best friend.
And yes, you heard it here first.
Black bamboo’s combination of strength and aesthetic makes it ideal for high-quality bamboo construction. Black bamboo also featured in early Green School architecture, thanks to Linda Garland and John Hardy.