Have you looked into the Borindas? Someone posted, a long while back, that they had some here in Texas and in the sun, but I believe it was north Texas which is a big difference from down here.

Chusqueas are supposedly the most sun tolerant of the clumping and cold hardy mountain bamboos. Chusqueas differ quite a bit in their range of growing conditions.

Some like full sun and some like almost complete shade.

Some do well in humidity, but extended extreme heat(100+) will usually do them in.

Some are cold hardy down to 0F, and others only down to 32F.

Some have long thin leaves and others have shorter wider leaves.

Their heights range from approximately 10 feet in height, up to 35 feet, and there are some varieties that grow like vines, up through the trees.

So, I would recommend a Chusquea and there should be one that will suit your purpose.

C. gigantea, C. cumingii, or C. culeou, are three that you might want to research a bit...

Good Luck

Kt

hhh,

I can give you a little insight on Thamno. Tessellatus as I grow this variety in 7a (SE VA). Your climate doesn't look as severe as mine (per weather underground) so I think you can grow this type with the right siting. The biggest difference being you might need a little more protection during the winter. Note that I wouldn't recommend this type if you're an absentee gardener (unless a water timer is used). They need to be watered and fertilized regularly in the spring/summer to stay strong and beat the heat.

My climate >> Summer temps are 85~95 F during the day, 70~75F at night, relatively high humidity most of the time. As for sun exposure, my most exposed plants get 6~8 hrs of direct morning sun with dappled afternoon shade. My hunch is that a full afternoon of southern sun may be too much due to its strength (just speculation). Also my soil is pretty sandy so drainage is good, no standing water.

WRT to your question about water/humidity, the key is to view the plant as living in two environments, one above ground (influenced by humidity) and one below ground (influenced by water/moisture levels). In the PNW, summer temperatures don't get as high as in the SE. Warmer air can hold larger amounts of water vapor (humidity) than cooler air. So while plants in the PNW see moderate humidity during the summer (along with high avg rainfall), plants in the SE are swimming in humidity and have to deal with only moderate rainfall (or none like last year). The native habitats of many of the mountain bamboos have similar environments to that of the PNW, so they grow well. But we can do it too :)

If you end up getting a TT and have any specific questions, let me know.

Thank you both for the feedback.
I will definitely TRY a chusquea (culeo?) at some point with your encouragement because I love the distinctive look. Considering the price per plant, though, and that I've been convinced that runners can be contained- I'll probably go with something that is cheaper and more of a sure bet for the bulk of my hedging.
I'll likely try some TT too.

I wouldn't stomp on the gas to Chusquea heaven quite yet. The real reason that Chusqueas die so much in the east and south is because of high NIGHT time temps combined with humidty. In extreme South America the most cold hardy bamboos are from high elevations. At these elevations the night temps drop consideribly.
Here in northern California, and the PNW there are places where temps get really high (110 here for a week every summer, and really dry), but the chusqueas do OK. On the cool coast they do even better. We get no summer rain in northern California(not sure about Washington), but basically the climate can be umbrellaed under "Mediterrianian Summer climate".
I'm still trying to figure out alot of this stuff myself, and there are long debates about our climate on the North West Palm tree forum, meaning- there are enough microclimates on the west coast to keep people argueing about our climate forever.
Not much of an anwser, but your zone really puts you in a pickel for sun loving clumping bamboos. With the price of most Chusqueas, and Borindas i wouldn't bother since they would be borderline in your winters, and that doesn't even factor in the hot humid summer nights.

Just wanted to add that there maybe a few low elevation Chusquea from Chili, or Argentina that could possibly do well on the east coast, but you'd probally need a zone 8.

Thanks.
Given the innumerable warnings I've read about clumpers in my geographic area I will hope for mediocrity, but expect nothing. At least its not a poorly chosen tree like, say, a Bradford Pear, that's going to get 40' tall and then topple over into my landscape or on top of my house. As a clumper, if it proves unsatisfactory, removal should remain an easy option for quite some time.

You might try Fargesia 'rufa',which is said to be more tolerant of sun than the other Fargesia species.

I have a single little 'Rufa' that I got last fall and it was a bit extravangant but I bought myself some F. 'Scabrida' today in celebration of my birthday. The 'Rufa' came thru the winter in a small pot outside quite well- a stupid risk, but also not in full sun.
I'm going to plant them both in shade or part shade as soon as I get to the new house but I know I will be tempted to move 'Scabrida' out into the sun at some point also because I'm betting that it will intensify the coloration, but I'll probably try sticking the 'Rufa' out there to bake first or, better yet, wait till I can get a 'Scabrida' division after a few years growth.
At least after paying $85 for F. scabrida (my most expensive boo to date), I should get over my fear of trying one of the less expensive Chusqueas assuming I don't have utter failure.
As for major hedging effects and quantity purchases- you and kudzu have convinced me that the runners are manageable with effort, so I should be without any shortages of bamboos to try from here on out.
But to get back on topic- it just seems that the the reputedly more tolerant Fargesias (especially the cheap ones) are a good starting point for exposure experimentation here in the SE. I have a couple now, so I should be less clueless in a year or two. That's assuming I have any sun LEFT-given all of the runners that I've been buying. LOL.