When we researched Bamboo and growing the plant in Tasmania, we were advised to grow 90% Bambusa textilis Gracils with only a handful of other species, known to be cold climate tolerant. We were also advised to grow Phyllostachys Nigra, the only cold climate tolerant Black Bamboo. Sadly the Phyllostachys Bamboos are all invasive runners and we were determined NOT to be the source of future issues with running Bamboo, which has already been banned as a weed in many mainland jurisdictions. We took the advice with Gracilis but politely declined the Nigra.
After seven years of growing and selling Bamboo in Tassie, the advice was well founded as Gracilis Bamboo has surged to popularity here and for many good reasons. If you are considering Bamboo as a fast growing green screen or simply a feature in your garden – here is some food for thought as to why you might like to consider this wonderful plant.
Beautiful, neat, upright bamboo makes excellent scenic screens, with their smooth, neat stems and lush green foliage.
A privacy fence is a great way to add seclusion and beauty to your backyard landscape. As one of the fastest growing plants bamboo makes an excellent choice for creating a living privacy fence or screen. But with over 1000 bamboo species to pick from it can be overwhelming to select the ideal one for your needs.
In this comprehensive guide. we’ll cover everything you need to know about choosing the best bamboo varieties for privacy fences including
Why Use Bamboo for Privacy Fences
There are many advantages to using bamboo for your privacy fencing:
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Fast growth – Bamboo can shoot up by several feet per year, quickly forming a tall, opaque wall of foliage. This rapid growth means you’ll have privacy in just a few seasons.
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Dense foliage – The closely spaced stems of bamboo create a solid barrier that blocks views and dampens noise. Many bamboo species have dense growth from top to bottom.
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Evergreen – Unlike some plants that lose leaves seasonally, bamboo stays green and leafy all year long. You’ll have year-round privacy.
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Low maintenance – Once established, bamboo is quite carefree and doesn’t need much ongoing maintenance. The plants are self-mulching as old stems decay.
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Strength – Bamboo is very resilient, bending rather than breaking. It withstands high winds better than wood or vinyl privacy fencing.
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Aesthetic appeal – With its exotic, natural beauty, bamboo makes an attractive backdrop that enhances your landscape.
Key Considerations When Selecting Bamboo
To choose the ideal bamboo variety or varieties for your privacy fencing project, keep these factors in mind:
Growth Habit
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Clumping bamboo grows in compact, tidy clumps that expand slowly. Clumping bamboo is easy to contain and less invasive, making it a great choice for privacy fences.
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Running bamboo spreads aggressively via underground rhizomes. Running bamboo requires containment to prevent unwanted spread into lawns and gardens.
Mature Height
- Select bamboo that will grow tall enough to meet your privacy needs. Heights range from 4 feet for dwarfs up to 50+ feet for giant timber bamboos.
Density
- Densely packed stems ensure maximum privacy. Look for bamboos like Oldhamii and Alphonse Karr that have very compact growth.
Cold Hardiness
- Match the bamboo to your climate. Cold hardy varieties can tolerate temperatures down to -15°F, while others need milder weather.
Sunlight Tolerance
- Some bamboos like full sun while others prefer part shade. Choose one suitable to the sunlight levels in your yard.
Top Species for Privacy Fences
Here are some excellent bamboo species to consider for living privacy fences:
Oldhamii
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This dense, upright clumping bamboo grows 35-45 feet tall. The tight internodes create a solid wall and it thrives in sun or part shade.
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Extremely hardy, tolerating temperatures down to -10°F. An excellent choice for colder climates.
Alphonse Karr
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A fast growing clumping bamboo that reaches 40 feet tall with a bushy, dense form. Handles full sun exposure well.
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Tolerates cold down to 0°F. Quickly forms a tall, opaque hedge.
Bambusa Multiplex Alphonse Karr
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This very tall, clumping bamboo has bright green culms with random yellow stripes. Grows quickly to 40 feet.
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Extremely dense, bushy growth habit provides maximum privacy. Cold hardy to 15°F.
Gracilis
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Also called Slender Weaver, this tidy clumping bamboo grows 20-30 feet tall in narrow upright clumps perfect for tight spaces.
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Handles cold to 0°F. Sways in the wind but stays dense. Does well in sun or shade.
Fargesia
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Clumping bamboos like Fargesia Jiuzhaigou are cold hardy to -15°F and spread slowly in tight clumps up to 15-20 feet tall.
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Provide good density for privacy screens. Require little care and maintenance once established.
Chusquea Culeou
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A durable clumping bamboo that tolerates wind, salt spray, and cold to 5°F. Grows up to 15 feet tall.
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Makes a nice medium height hedge with open but decent privacy. Thrives in partly shady areas.
Bambusa Oldhamii
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This taller running bamboo can be contained and forms an ultra-dense, dark green hedge up to 40 feet tall.
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Provide incredible privacy but do require occasional root pruning and monitoring to prevent unwanted spread.
Caring for Bamboo Privacy Fences
Proper selection is the first step, but you’ll also need to care for your bamboo in the years after planting. Here are some tips:
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Water 1-2 times per week until plants are established, then as needed. Bamboo prefers consistently moist (but not soggy) soil.
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Apply a balanced organic fertilizer annually in early spring to fuel fast growth.
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Prune away old stems every 1-2 years to encourage new dense shoots. Cut canes back near ground level.
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For running bamboo, monitor for new shoots outside planting area and remove promptly. You can also install rhizome barrier around perimeter.
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Occasionally check for pests like spider mites and diseases. Take action promptly if issues occur.
Transform Your Yard with a Bamboo Privacy Fence
With the right selection and care, bamboo can create a living privacy fence or enclosure that transforms your outdoor spaces. Say goodbye to noisy neighbors and unsightly views! A bamboo hedge provides beauty, seclusion and serenity so you can enjoy your yard.
Hopefully this guide gives you a great starting point for choosing and growing bamboo privacy fencing. Let us know if you have any other questions!
GRACILIS IS A CLUMPING NON – INVASIVE BAMBOO
So why the attraction to Gracilis over other Bamboo varieties? I mean, there are over 1500 varieties of bamboo.
First of all, Gracilis is a clumping bamboo which is considered as non-invasive. This means that it grows in a tight clump and will not spread wildly like the running bamboo varieties, which have given bamboo generally a bad reputation.
Gracilis, also known as Slender Weaver or Slender Weaver Bamboo, is the most popular bamboo for privacy, and for good reason:
- Gracilis grows where most other plants have problems. The non-invasive bamboo is a clumping bamboo variety in a narrow bed of only 50cm instead of the dreaded runner bamboo.
- Gracilis, a plant that provides vertical privacy, takes up very little space in your lovely garden because of its upright growth habit.
- The slender weavers will provide brilliant shade from neighbors in 18 months or hide an unsightly sight if planted in one of our 200mm pots with well-developed roots.
- Gracilis Hardy and tolerates cold temperatures down to -12 degrees.
- Gracilis Free of pests and diseases.
- It can also act as a windbreak, sound barrier, and erosion control.
- Gracilis Depending on conditions, it grows up to 6 meters tall (growth can be controlled for diameter and height).
- Gracilis forms a very dense hedge and is compact.
- It is very aesthetically pleasing all year round making it ornamental.
- It produces many new shoots during the growing season (October-April).
- Want to get 30% more oxygen with your privacy bamboo?
- How about a bit of shade in a warm suburban garden?
Privacy bamboo plant (Slender Weavers, the non-invasive variety) has many more benefits. But the above arguments should convince even the most misunderstood bamboo detractors.
THE RAPID GROWTH RATE IS ONE OF ITS MAIN ATTRACTIONS
Straight, thin-walled, and robust. Beautiful straight bamboo that forms a very dense clump.
This species is excellent for shading. Planted 1 m apart, it forms a continuous, dense ‘bamboo wall’ within three years. They can also be planted further apart (for example, 1.5 or 2 meters between plants) and form a large shade screen, but with distinct individual clumps at the base, the foliage at the top will still form a complete shade screen. They should be planted at least 0.5m from the fence unless some root barrier is used to prevent them from growing under the fence.
The size of the plant will vary greatly depending on the circumstances. If planted close together (for example, 1 m apart) or in more unfavorable conditions, it will usually only grow to 6 m.
There is no exact rule as to how far apart the plants should be, as this depends a lot on the look you want and your budget.
For more extensive beds (for example, at least 1m wide), we generally recommend 1m spacing if you want the clumps to grow together at the bottom. If you space them further apart (1.5 or even 2 m), you will still have full coverage at the top, but there will be gaps between the clumps at ground level.
Bamboo tends to grow a little slower in very narrow garden beds since the root space is limited. To achieve excellent, even ground coverage, you can plant between 0.5 and 1 m. The closer you plant them together, the less time it takes to achieve full coverage (the clumps are close together). Therefore, it is a matter of budget and how long you are willing to wait.
- Locks Out Ugly Views Quickly – Be it a Telstra Tower or a color-bond fence, it can be screened quickly.
- Purifies Your Air Up To 3 Times More Efficiently Than Other Plants – 35% more oxygen for your lungs.
- Can Cool Your Garden Up To 8 Degrees In The Summer Heat – The outdoor air-conditioner.
- Can Be Grown In Pots, Troughs, Or Garden Beds – It does require a little extra care when grown in pots or troughs, but it can be done.
- Can Be Planted In Narrow Widths – Slender Weavers can grow in as narrow a space as 50cm and still reach 5 meters or higher,
- Beautiful Natural Privacy Screen – You can legally have a stunning evergreen living fence. Try doing that with any fence material.
- Beautiful Feature Plant (Looks Stunning With Lighting) – Gracilis looks amazing along a driveway, walkway, or around the swimming pool with lights.
- The Fastest Way To Get Privacy As It’s The Fastest Growing Land Plant – If you plant our Gracilis Bamboo 200mm pots, you will have a great screen in 18 months in ideal climate conditions and with a good food/water regime.
- Doesn’t Get Too Clustered Around The Base (forms very tight clumps) – The base diameter can grow to 1 – 1.5 meters. It can also be controlled with a few tricks we can show you.
- Shallow, Non-Invasive Root System – The root system is very shallow, around 30 – 40 cm deep.
- Blocks Out A 2 Story Window Effectively – There is nothing worse than losing your privacy and someone looking into your house and yard.
- Graceful – Blends In Well With Any Garden (Even A Native Garden) – Gracilis is a beautiful plant and belongs in any garden style.
- The Shoots Are Edible – It must be well cooked, but it’s not the first choice if you’re after edible bamboo shoots; Oldhamii is much tastier, I must say.
- Free Poles For Tomato Stakes – Stop spending money at your hardware and garden store. You’ll have enough to give to family and friends.
- Perfect Choice For Hedging Or Screening – Some people like the natural look, and some like their bamboos trimmed. Once you cut (top) a culm (stem), it will stay at that height.
- Outstanding As Windbreaks And Noise Barriers – Noisy kids next door, or do you live on a busy street? The bushy, dense mature clumps of Slender Weaver Bamboo will reduce noise.
- Drought Tolerant Once It’s Established – Gracilis likes water, but once it’s established, it’s drought tolerant.
- It Is Pest And Disease Free
- Extremely Useful For Soil Stability And Erosion – Useful in promoting soil stability and curbing soil erosion.
Gracilis bamboo is the superior bamboo for screening. No other plant will grow a screen faster than bamboo.
Bamboo gracilis(slender weavers) will grow fast in many situations and most environments, even in a narrow bed up against a fence with only a few hours of sunlight a day. They will still grow to a favorable height faster than any other plants.
Suppose you want a bamboo Gracilis privacy screen or hedge to grow at high speed; you plant in spring and put 90 percent of your effort into preparing the soil and plant in full sun and feed a slow-release fertilizer high in nitrogen and irrigate and mulch well.
Seabreeze Bamboo Bambusa Malingensis The Best Privacy Bamboo
FAQ
What is the best bamboo for a privacy fence?
The best bamboo varieties for privacy screens include Seabreeze Bamboo, Scottish Bamboo, and Blue Chungii.
What is the fastest growing bamboo for privacy?
Clumping bamboo grows extremely fast and can provide excellent screening within a short time. Your lot size should determine the number of bamboo trees to plant. However, make sure the trees are well spaced, preferably three to five feet apart.
What is the best bamboo for tall screening?
Bamboos such as Indocalamus and Sasa will create low screens with large tropical looking leaves. For taller more architectural hedges and screens the Phyllostachys species are the best choice, however some of these may require a root barrier depending on where they are to be planted.
What are the disadvantages of a bamboo fence?
Bamboo is susceptible to weather conditions and insect infestations, posing challenges for its maintenance and longevity.Nov 28, 2023