and here's the photo, duh
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It takes a while for the culms to turn black, and the amount of sunlight has an effect on how fast and completely it will turn black.

My black bamboo does not turn completely black unless it is in shade, and it's leaves always get the brown tips, especially at this time of the year. Both my potted and in-ground look the same.

Kt

Then I must have WAY too much sun in Florida. I'll move it into the shade. THanks. I've had it for a few years. I thought I might need to separate it but I don't want to put it in the ground because I'm afraid I'll lose control of it.
Barb

Although still dinky by now some of the oldest parts should be getting quite a bit of black. Repot in fresh soil, bigger pot and keep fertilized, partly shaded. Not as big as it should be by now, a 5 gallon pot size at a nursery might often be chest high or more, and full of tall culms. Stronger green coloring shown by some newer portions of yours should be how whole plant looks.

You sound a little too worried about your bamboo running. Your plant may be happier in the ground than several years in a pot, and look a lot better.

I have over 50 species of runners and they're all in the ground. They're easily conrolled with rhizome pruning when needed. Take a risk. If bamboo were as uncontrollable as some people say, it would have overtaken the world by now...

Thanks bboy I'm going to repot most of it in a bigger pot with fresh soil and move it to shade.
You're right kudzuI am concerned about it running. When I lived in the northeast I had a lot of houseplants I had to baby along to get them to thrive. When I moved to Florida 26 years ago I put them in the ground and they took off. Now I have to hack them back with a machete. I could try bamboo in the ground and just monitor it. If it takes off, pull it out and put it back in a pot.
Barb

Barb-
If it takes off, just rhizome prune back to where you want it. Once or twice a year I go out with a pickaxe and a branch lopper and chop off and pull out any rhizomes that got too ambitious. They generally stay close to the surface and once in a while pop up. It's pretty easy to find them and trim them back if you do it regularly. Bamboo is a plant that will not regenerate from pieces left in the ground.

The people who get in trouble are those that plant it in the back corner of the yard, ignore it for 5 years, and then decide one day that they've been invaded.

I had one stand of running bamboo that spread all of 10' in over 30 years, and I never did a thing to it. I've got others that sent out a 10' runner the first year in the ground.

Try it. It will look better, and be happier and healthier in the ground, and I think this is worth 10 minutes of maintenance a year...