The species [4] and the form P. nigra f. henonis[5] have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Since it is widely distributed in Japan, dieback of its stands may cause serious social and environmental problems.

Moreover, Henon bamboo rarely sets fertile seeds, so it is not clear how this species has survived over long periods in Japan.

[9][10] It is used for lumber (timber), food, and musical instruments, among other things, in areas of China where it is native and also worldwide.

A 2008 study from Zhejiang University, in China, isolated several flavone C-glycosides on black bamboo leaves, including orientin, homoorientin, vitexin and isovitexin.