| Clumping Bamboo Tip Top Picks for Privacy Screening | Image | #2 Pot | #5 Pot | #15 Pot | #25 Pot |
| #9) Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis':
The Gracilis is a small statured clumping bamboo with green canes forming tight dense clumps with a vertical growth habit and nodding cane tops. The younger canes frequently show an attractive powdery blue color.
In the Sacramento Valley and the SF Bay area it grows 20 feet tall with canes up to 1.25 inches in diameter.
This bamboo creates an ideal privacy screen or hedge when planted on 3 foot to 6 foot centers.
When planting the Gracilis next to a 6 foot fence it will reliably provide a dense screen of leaves above the fence line to provide privacy.
Full sun is preferred and this bamboo is rated to 18 °F by the American Bamboo Society. We recommend planting each Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' plant in the middle of a 3 foot or larger diameter circle of soil dedicated to the plant. Additional planting details applicable to this and other "Smaller Statured Clumping Bamboos" are given father down on this webpage. |
| - | 5 gallon pots are in stock: (4'+ tall for $85 each), (8'+ tall for $150 each) in stock on 10-10-2023 |
15 gallon for $295. Most are 12'+ tall. in stock on 10-10-2023 |
20 gallon for $495 25 gallon: call for pricing in stock on 10-10-2023 |
| #2)
Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr':
Alphonse Karr is a small statured clumping bamboo with gold canes bearing random dark green stripes.
It grows with tight dense clumps having a vertical growth habit.
In the Sacramento Valley and the SF Bay area it grows 12 to 20 feet tall (usually 15 feet) with canes up to 1 inch in diameter.
This is probably the most common clumping bamboo used in the residential landscape.
When planting Alphonse Karr next to a 6 foot fence the plants will reliably provide a dense screen of leaves above the fence line to provide privacy.
Full sun is preferred and this bamboo is rated to 18 °F by the American Bamboo Society.
We recommend planting each Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' plant in the middle of a 3 foot or larger diameter circle of soil dedicated to the plant. Additional planting details applicable to this and other "Smaller Statured Clumping Bamboos" are given father down on this webpage. |
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1 gallon Alphonse Karr 1-9 plants for $45 each, 10-24 plants for $40 each, 25-49 plants for $35 each, 50-99 plants for $30 each, 100-249 plants for $25 each, 250+ plants for $20 each. 10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
5 gallon Alphonse Karr 1-4 plants for $75 each, 5-9 plants for $65 each, 10+ plants for $55 each 10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
15 gallon Alphonse Karr 1-4 plants for $175 each, 5-9 plants for $165 each, 10-24 plants for $155 each, 25+ plants for $140 each
10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
20 and 25 gallon Alphonse Karr 20 gallon 1-4 plants for $475 each, 5-9 plants for $450 each, 10-24 plants for $400 each, 25-49 plants for $350 each, 50+ plants for $300 each
25 gallon 1-4 plants for $675 each, 5-9 plants for $625 each, 10-24 plants for $550 each, 25-49 plants for $500 each, 50+ plants for $400 each. 10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
| #7) Bambusa textilis (Weaver's Bamboo):
Bambusa textilis is a larger statured clumping bamboo with dark green canes and a vertical growth habit.
The new canes frequently show an attractive powdery blue coloration.
This bamboo produces a very dense wall of bare canes up to about 10 feet high, as shown in the picture to the right, with a canopy of canes and leaves above 10 feet.
We call this growth habit the "Wall of Canes" look.
The wall of bamboo canes provides privacy at the lower heights (below 10 feet) and the canopy of leaves and canes provide privacy higher up (above 10 feet).
Once the plants fill in densely with canes they provide privacy from the ground level up to the top of the plants at 30 to 40 feet high.
The bamboo canes grow to the somewhat large diameter of 2 inches wide.
Full sun is preferred and this bamboo is rated to 18 °F by the American Bamboo Society.
We recommend planting each Bambusa textilis plant in the middle of 4 foot or larger diameter circle of soil dedicated to the plant. Additional planting details applicable to this and other "Larger Statured Clumping Bamboos" are given father down on this webpage. |
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5 gallon Weaver's Bamboo $85 each 10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
15 gallon Weaver's Bamboo $195 - $295 each (Monster Sized Plants Available) 10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
20 gallon Weaver's Bamboo for $395 - $495 each 25 gallon 10-8-2023: in stock and ready to go. |
| #1)
Bambusa chungii (Tropical Blue Bamboo, Emperor's Blue Bamboo):
This is a fast growing larger statured clumping bamboo that produces a very dense wall of bare canes up to about 10 feet high, as shown in the picture to the right, with a canopy of canes and leaves above 10 feet up to about 30 feet. We call this growth habit the "Wall of Canes" look. The wall of fat bamboo canes provides privacy at the lower heights (lower than 10 feet) and the leaves and canes provide privacy higher up (above 10 feet). The bamboo canes grow to the rather large diameter of 2.5 inches wide which is the diameter of a can of soda. This is a full sun clumping bamboo with a vertical growth habit. The new canes have a heavy white powder coating giving them a blue tone. Rated to 21 °F by the American Bamboo Society. We recommend planting each Bambusa chungii plant in the middle of a 4 foot or larger diameter circle of soil dedicated to the plant. Additional planting details applicable to this and other "Larger Statured Clumping Bamboos" are given father down on this webpage. | 
| - | 5 gallon pots for $150 in stock on 10-12-2023 |
- | 25 gallon: Please call for pricing in stock on 10-12-2023 |
| Running Bamboo Tip Top Picks for Privacy Screening | Image | #2 Pot | #5 Pot | #15 Pot | #25 Pot |
#18) Phyllostachys aurea (Golden Bamboo, Running Hedge Bamboo, Fishpole Bamboo): A full sun bamboo with a vertical growth habit. It grows up to 27 feet tall with canes up to 1.8 inches in diameter when mature. The canes will turn a golden color if exposed to a lot of direct sunlight. Produces bamboo shoots that are good to eat. Rated to 5 °F by the American Bamboo Society. Minimum USDA Zone 7. |
 | - | $75 | 15 gallon: $165 - $195, some of these plants are 12'+ tall | 25 gallon: Please call for pricing. |
#19) Phyllostachys aurea 'Flavescens Inversa': A full sun bamboo with a vertical growth habit. It grows to 20 feet tall with canes up to 1.5 inches in diameter when mature. The canes are green colored with gold colored cane grooves. Produces bamboo shoots that are good to eat. Rated to 5 °F by the American Bamboo Society. Minimum USDA Zone 7.What are the differences between bamboos #18, #19, #20, and #21? When we contrast the different cultivars of Phyllostachys aurea sold by Davis Bamboo Nursery, specifically our Bamboos #18 - #21, they all grow in a very similar manner and all of these are excellent running bamboos for privacy. The differences are that #18 (P. aurea) grows around 5 to 10 feet taller than bamboos #19 (Flavescens Inversa), #20 (Golden Golden), and #21 (Koi) and each of these cultivars have differently colored canes. For #18 (P. aurea) the canes are green, fading to a light green to golden color if they are hit with a lot of direct sunlight. Often times even older canes of Bamboo #18 (P. aurea) remain green colored. For #19 (Flavescens Inversa) the canes are mainly green with yellow stripes in the cane grooves. For #20 (Golden Golden) the new bamboo shoots emerge with a pea green color and the new canes transition from pea green to golden within the first year regardless of being hit by direct sunlight. Bamboo #21 (Koi) has the opposite coloration of #19 (Flavescens Inversa), with predominantly gold colored canes bearing green stripes in the cane grooves. Sometimes people like to have mixed plantings of Bamboos #19 (Flavescens Inversa) and #21 (Koi) for a checker board bamboo sort of look. The reasons we specifically endorse these cultivars of P. aurea for privacy screening are that: 1) they are tough compared to other running bamboos and continue to look good even in the face of harsh environmental conditions that adversely effect other bamboos, 2) they are drought tolerant compared to other running bamboos, 3) they have lower branching compared to most other running bamboos of similar height and this increases their efficacy for providing privacy, and 4) their rhizomes do not grow as deep as most other running bamboos of similar height and this makes them easier to dig out when it is time for rhizome pruning or bamboo removal.
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 | - | 5 gallon for $75 | 15 gallon: $195, 12'+ tall | 25 gallon: Please call for pricing |
#20) Phyllostachys aurea 'Holochrysa' (Golden Golden Bamboo): A full sun bamboo with a vertical growth habit. It grows to 20 feet tall with canes up to 1.5 inches in diameter when mature. the new shoots emerge a pea green color and teh new canes turn golden within the first year or less. Produces bamboo shoots that are good to eat. Rated to 5 °F by the American Bamboo Society. Minimum USDA Zone 7. |
 | - | - | 15 gallon: $165 - $195, some of these plants are 12'+ tall | 25 gallon: Please call for pricing |
#21) Phyllostachys aurea 'Koi': A full sun bamboo with a vertical growth habit. It grows to 20 feet tall with canes up to 1.5 inches in diameter when mature. The canes are gold colored with green cane grooves. Produces bamboo shoots that are good to eat. Rated to 5 °F by the American Bamboo Society. Minimum USDA Zone 7. |
 | - | 5 gallon for $75 | 15 gallon: $195, 12'+ tall | 25 gallon: Please call for pricing |
#44) Semiarundinaria fastuosa (Red Temple Bamboo): A full sun bamboo with a vertical growth habit. It grows to 30 feet tall with canes up to 1.5 inches in diameter when mature. The canes turn a burgandy color when exposed to a lot of direct sunlight. This is a great low branching running bamboo for privacy. Rated to 0 °F by the American Bamboo Society. Minimum USDA Zone 6. |
 | - | - | 15 gallon: $165 20 gallon: $395 each (tall plants!) |
25 gallon Red Temple Bamboo 1-4 plants for $450 each, 5-9 plants for $400 each, 10-24 plants for $350 each, 25+ plants for $300 each. |
#45) Semiarundinaria fastuosa 'Virdis' (Green Temple Bamboo): A full sun bamboo with a vertical growth habit. It grows to 35 feet tall with canes up to 1.5 inches in diameter when mature. The canes remain green when exposed to direct sunlight. This is a great low branching running bamboo for privacy. Rated to 0 °F by the American Bamboo Society. Minimum USDA Zone 6. |
 | - | - | 15 gallon: Please call for pricing | 25 gallon: Please call for pricing |
Figure 1. Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' (a.k.a. Graceful Weaver's Bamboo, Slender Weaver's Bamboo) growing for the purpose of privacy screening in a 3 foot wide by 27 foot long planting area. This bamboo is a small statured clumping bamboo and it is considered one of the premier bamboos for property line privacy screening.
Bamboo For Privacy Screening
Several cultivars of bamboo are widely used for privacy screening and visual screening to block unsightly views. People seek out bamboos for these purposes because they can provide tall and dense screening in relatively narrow areas next to property lines while zoning regulations limit the height of property line fences and walls. Bamboo plants can be used for screening from neighboring properties with single or multistory structures or to provide screening from public right of ways.
Where to Start in Planning Your Bamboo Screening Design
There is no one kind of bamboo that is best for all screening scenarios. The preliminary factors that need to be considered when determining the best choice of bamboo cultivar are: 1) the length and width of the area available for bamboo canes to grow out of the ground or out of containers, and 2) the height range over which the screening is required (which is not necessarily the same as the height of the bamboo). When you are investigating your potential bamboo planting the first thing to do is measure the length and width of the area available for bamboo to grow. In many cases the length can be quickly determined if the area is next to a fence because fence panels are typically 8 feet long. In this scenario you can count the number of fence panels you want to plant next to and multiply that number by 8 feet per panel to arrive upon your length. The length is especially important when it comes to determining how many plants will be needed. To determine the available width, we recommend using a tape measure to determine the number of inches wide your bamboo growing area is. The width is especially important for selection of the bamboo cultivar you will use. Typically, you are going to want a minimum of 2 to 3 feet of width for your bamboo planting and more is better for several reasons. Bamboo can be grown in areas narrower than 2 feet although it becomes more challenging, especially if you are going to try to grow bamboo in an area that is less than 1 foot in width.
Considerations for Planting Clumping Bamboo Cultivars
Many people prefer to use clumping bamboo cultivars because they can be responsibly grown in the ground without the use of underground rhizome barrier. Rhizome barrier is typically only used for running bamboo varieties and there is some cost associated with the barrier itself and there is usually a large cost associated with installing rhizome barrier. For smaller statured clumping bamboos (defined herein as having the ability to grow 6 to 20 feet tall) we recommend the bamboo growing area be at least 3 feet wide and preferably wider. In a 3 foot wide growing area you can give each plant a 3 foot diameter circle of soil which is what we consider to be the functional minimum amount of space required. To achieve a complete screen of bamboo that you cannot see through above a solid 6 foot tall fence we recommend planting smaller statured clumping bamboos every 3 to 6 feet, center to center, along a line parallel to the fence and separated from the fence by at least 1.5 feet. This is one of the most common scenarios for property line privacy screening. For larger statured clumping bamboos (defined herein as having the ability to grow taller than 20 feet) we recommend the bamboo growing area be at least 4 feet wide and preferably wider. In a 4 foot wide growing area you can give each plant a 4 foot diameter circle of soil which is what we consider to be the functional minimum amount of space required for a larger statured clumping bamboo. To achieve a complete screen of bamboo that you cannot see through above a solid 6 foot tall fence we recommend planting larger statured clumping bamboos every 4 to 6 feet, center to center, along a line parallel to the fence and separated from the fence by at least 2 feet. Growing clumping bamboos in areas narrower than our recommended minimums results in more frequent, more difficult, and more expensive maintenance costs over the years to come (especially with regard to the process of rhizome pruning which is how the size of the footprint of a clumping bamboo is properly maintained). If you are giving your clumping bamboo plants a 3 foot wide growing area next to a fence you should plant the centers of the plants 1.5 feet away from the fence. If you are giving your clumping bamboo plants a 4 foot wide growing area next to a fence you should plant the centers of the plants 2 feet away from the fence.
Considerations for Planting Running Bamboo Cultivars
For bamboo growing areas that are less than 3 feet wide running bamboo cultivars are often the best choices because their growth habit enables them to conform to the shapes of a long narrow areas as in the cases of areas bounded by rhizome barrier or many kinds of containers (i.e. 8 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot planters). Commonly used containers for running bamboos include steel stock tanks, half wine barrel planters, and custom wood boxes. We recommend against customers with residential properties planting running bamboos in the ground without a barrier if they are planting near a property line. This scenario has played out in unsatisfactory manner countless times and often results in expensive bamboo removals and neighbors that are irate because unwanted bamboo spread under the fence and into their yards. In many cases the cost of running bamboo plants are a bit lower than the cost of clumping bamboo plants although when the additional costs associated with responsible planting of running bamboo are considered it is frequently easier and less expensive to get a bamboo planting project started with clumping bamboos.
Figure 2. Phyllostachys aurea 'Flavescens Inversa' growing for the purpose of privacy screening in half wine barrel planters. This bamboo is a small statured low branching running bamboo and it is one of the best bamboos for privacy screening in containers and long narrow areas (less that 3 feet wide) equipped with rhizome barrier.
Dr. Daniel James Nurco's Bamboo Cultivar Top Picks for Privacy Screening
Smaller Statured Clumping Bamboos for Privacy: These bamboos are all low branching and they grow from 6' - 20' tall and require a minimum space of a 3 foot circle of soil for each plant. No rhizome barrier is required to plant these in the ground.
9) Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' (Graceful Weaver's Bamboo)
Larger Statured Clumping Bamboos for Privacy: These bamboos are higher branching cultivars that grow 25' - 40' tall and require a minimum space of a 4 foot circle of soil for each plant. No rhizome barrier is required to plant these in the ground.
1) Bambusa chungii (Emperor's Blue Bamboo)
Running Bamboos for Privacy: These bamboos are low branching cultivars and usually grow 10' - 20' tall in containers and 15' - 30' tall in the ground. Recommended for growing in the ground with rhizome barrier or for containers. Usually customers will want areas at least 18" wide to grow these bamboos.
18) Phyllostachys aurea
11) Bambusa textilis 'Scranton'
2) Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr'
3) Bambusa multiplex 'Eddie Gaedel'
4) Bambusa multiplex 'Midori Green'
7) Bambusa textilis (Weaver's Bamboo)
8) Bambusa textilis 'Glabra'
19) Phyllostachys aurea 'Flavescens Inversa'
20) Phyllostachys aurea 'Holochrysa'
21) Phyllostachys aurea 'Koi'
23) Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis'
24) Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Harbin Inversa'
44) Semiarundinaria fastuosa (Red Temple Bamboo)
45) Semiarundinaria fastuosa 'Viridis' (Green Temple Bamboo)
