Timor Black Bamboo, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
Timor black bamboo is a clumping bamboo that does well in Southwest Florida's heat and summer rain, growing 15 to 35 feet tall with canes that mature from green to glossy black. It stays in a tight clump instead of running, which makes it a good privacy screen and a bold specimen. We deliver and plant it in 15 and 25 gallon.
- Light:
- Full sun to part shade
- Water:
- Moderate to high; needs regular water, especially in the dry season
- Salt:
- Low to moderate; keep out of direct salt spray
Timor Black Bamboo sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Timor Black Bamboo | 15 Gallon, 25 Gallon |
Timor Black Bamboo in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 15 to 35 ft tall, with a clump 6 to 10 ft wide after several years
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate to high; needs regular water, especially in the dry season
- Salt tolerance
- Low to moderate; keep out of direct salt spray
- Cold tolerance
- Hardy to about 25°F; leaves burn and tips die back in a hard freeze. Coastal Lee and Collier are usually fine
- Growth rate
- Fast; new canes shoot up in the warm, rainy months
- Spacing
- 6 to 8 ft on center for a screen; 10 ft for a roomier clump
- Florida native
- No, native to the island of Timor
- Botanical name
- Bambusa lako
Where Timor Black Bamboo works in a SW Florida yard
Use Timor black as a tall, airy screen along a back fence or as a specimen against a pale wall, where the black canes stand out. Plant it 5 to 8 feet from the house, fences, pool cage and utility lines, because the clump widens and the tops can droop.
Edge the base with liriope, ginger or bromeliads so the lower canes stay visible.
- Fast privacy screens
- Black-cane specimen
- Pool and patio backdrop
- Tropical garden accent
How our crew plants it
Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and the same depth, and set the top of the root ball level with the soil. Space plants 6 to 8 feet apart for a screen. Mulch 3 inches deep and leave fallen bamboo leaves in place.
Water in deeply; Lee and Collier allow extra watering for new plantings, since bamboo stalls if it dries out.
Care after planting
- Water deeply and regularly, especially through the November to May dry season, since bamboo drops leaves and stalls when it dries out.
- Fertilize in spring before June 1 and again after September 30, because Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer from June 1 to September 30.
- Thin old, weak or damaged canes at ground level each year to open up the clump and show off the black canes.
- Leave fallen leaves as mulch, which feeds the clump and holds moisture in sandy soil.
- Cover young plants inland on frost nights, since foliage can burn in the upper 20s.
What to watch for
- Clumping bamboo stays put, but the clump still widens a few inches a year and sheds heavy leaf litter, so keep it back from the pool, gutters and fence lines.
- Dry spells brown the leaves and thin the clump, so keep irrigation running through the dry season.
Timor Black Bamboo questions we hear
Is Timor black bamboo clumping or running?+
Clumping. Timor black stays in a tight clump and does not send runners across the yard the way running bamboos do. The clump widens slowly, a few inches a year, so allow 6 to 10 feet of width and keep it a few feet off fences and the pool.
How fast does Timor black bamboo grow for privacy in Florida?+
Quickly. New canes shoot up in the warm, rainy months, and each year's canes are taller than the last until the clump matures. Plants set 6 to 8 feet apart can close into a screen in a few seasons. Keep it watered through the dry season.
How cold can Timor black bamboo take in Southwest Florida?+
It is hardy to about 25°F, so coastal Lee and Collier winters rarely hurt it. A hard frost can burn the leaves and kill cane tips, mainly inland in Lehigh Acres or Port Charlotte. Cover young plants on frost nights; mature clumps usually recover.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Timor Black Bamboo
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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See it in 3D first
We deliver and plant across Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs and about an hour around.