Stan The Man wrote:
Second question: Is the black bamboo one of the varieties that roots
like a mad thing all over the place if not shackled?


If you read most books it is clump forming and well behaved.

mine was so for 5 years than last summer along with golden bamboo produced
around 30m (sic) of 1" dia runners in a 5*4 courtyard!

I read more books and in hot american zones it is noted as an invasive
runner - it was in its element last summer!

pk