The Stone Bamboo gets its name from its hard wood, which is used in furniture making in its native China.
New shoots are edible.
Good for hedges and screens, but should be contained as it is a running bamboo and can be invasive. For best appearnace, remove old culms with sparse or no foliage. Height to 21 feet. A related species, P. aurea, the golden bamboo, is considered the hardiest bamboo grown in the U.S. taking temperatures to -4 degrees F. Height to 10 feet.