Bamboo screens
Not all the Greek runners in the original Olympics were totally naked. Some wore shoes.
Bamboo makes excellent screens.
In selecting a bamboo for a screen you should consider several factors: Location, Location, Location. A screen placed along a property line should have some type of barrier next to your neighbor or you should consult with your neighbor and get approval to come onto the property to remove new shoots each spring. A screen or hedge next to a road, in areas that get frequent snow or ice, should be selected based on height and strength so as not to block the road when covered with snow or ice.
The branching habit of the bamboo is important when selecting a screen. Bamboos with low branching habits will give a more uniform density to the screen and should be used when the screen is narrow front to back. The giant timber bamboos tend to branch higher so you will not have the same high and low density for the screen but if the thickness of the screen is adequate, the culms will form the screen in the lower areas if left in the grove. The list of bamboo on the left is intended only as a starting point in selecting a bamboo for screens.
If you like a particular bamboo for your project that is not in the list it will probably work just fine. You may want to plant 2 varieties with similar ratings. Then if one of the varieties flowers and dies, the other variety will maintain your screen until the bamboo that flowered recovers.
