B.oldhammii is ..I think,the best for a tall screen. At least in the bay area. To 40'. You have more options- like the Dendrocalamus gigantea that gets 100' tall. Maybe too big?

You could plant palms..Phoenix reclinata makes a great impenetrable hedge and are easy for you to find in any size you can afford.

Be very, very careful what you wish for. When looking at bamboo, take the time to talk with people who have direct experience growing the various species in your area -- book knowledge or second hand knowledge, or knowledge from a different climate is not enough. If you thought your fig tree was too big, wait until you see what certain bamboo species can do. (The Scream emoticon) It is possible the right bamboo is out there, but take your time and be sure of what you can expect. And even in the best of cases, bamboo is very messy. Beautiful and a fast growing screen, yes; but dropping loads of papery debris constantly. I do not grow bamboo myself, but I admire it from a safe distance. ;-)

Visit San Diego Botanic Gardens (formerly Quail Gardens) to see established bamboos. Ask lots of questions of the docents; call ahead to let them know what you want to see and learn about.

Thank you both for the suggestions. kiminpl, I have been to SD Botanic Garden and it is a great resource. I will go again and take your advice about calling ahead and talking to the docents for more info. stanofh, I've looked at oldhamii and I like it but I am hoping to find something with more interesting culms, like stripes or unusual shading. And 100' is definitely too tall! so no dendrocalamus gigantea. Thanks again for the responses.

Elizabeth,

I live in San Diego also and have planted several giant timber (bambusas). My biggest/oldest is an Oldhamii that is probably about 5-6 years old and is about 30 feet tall (BEAUTIFUL but BIG!!!). I also have textillis and Vitatta bamboo in addition to others. I think the prettiest is the Vitatta since the yellow culms are an beautiful contrast to the big green leaves, however, this is the one that arches the most from my giants. The most upright (straight) grower I have is the Textillis (weaver's) bamboo. The other variety of giants I own have not been in the ground for even one year so I can't comment on those yet. I really think for your criteria Textillis would be a good option. In my experience, although a lot of people are intimidated but the eventual growth-rate of giant bamboos, just remember you can always control it. When clump diameter reaches it's desired size, you can simply cut down any new shoots that will pop up. Bamboos are a lot of fun and almost addictive. I say go for it. If you need a contact to a really good independent bamboo nursery let me know. I know a guy in Vista that I've gotten almost ALL my bamboos from and he's MUCH cheaper than big nurseries.

stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area,

My neighbor's backyard has a huge Oak tree (60ft?), which drops leaves all year long. Due to Fremont has predominately NorthWest wind most of the time, the leaves are blown to my yard and also onto my roof, then falling around the house. Even worse yet, during early Spring the Oaktree is flowering (brown) that flys all over the place.

I think the only cost-effective and quick solution is to have a tall 45' screen built in front of the Oaktree.

Stanofh, do you mind allowing me to take a look at your Oldhamii to see if it can fit my needs since based on your username, we live close by?

You can message me here at Houzz; my settings allow anyone to message me.

Appreciate it,

Ken

Sorry Ken,that is not my yard. But I can tell you Cal State Hayward has a few clumps of 25

' or so. I would guess its the best garden large Bamboo..easy to grow,big and hardy to bay area cold..some of the other timber bamboos might be for experts.

Thanks, Stanofh!

If you don't mind, do you know what is the spread of Oldhamii? I like to find out how many I need to buy. BTW, where would you suggest getting Bamboo in Bay Area?

Thanks again,

Ken

`I had thought that a major obstical to bamboo was its inherent tendency to spread with underground roots. My neighbor planted some and I battle it every year since it always comes up in the middle of something else making it hard to reach and remove. Perhaps this isn't true of all bamboo, and so will read this thread with interest.

I think you can say this is a more garden friendly large bamboo than others. But,it will make a large clump eventually if not trimmed. So you know going in that its not for small areas unless surrounded by concrete or asphalt.

Another spot to see it large is Dunsmuir Garden in Oakland. That old Mansion where they filmed a horror movie with the great late english actor Oliver Reed back in the 70's.