What kind of bamboo for my climate?

What kind of bamboo would grow well in my climate?

• I am looking to begin growing bamboo in my yard to be used as a privacy screen. I wanted to know what kind of bamboo would thrive best in my climate. I live in western Kentucky, which has hot, humid summers and mild to moderate winters. Summer temperatures are normally between 85 degrees and 100 degrees with high humidity and winter temperatures are generally 45 degrees down to 25 degrees with a couple inches of snow. The area I am looking to screen is about ten to fifteen feet wide. I'd like to see the bamboo reach a height of about 8-10 feet. Could you please help me out?

• Answer:

  Try P. Nigra (black bamboo)-but it goes to 20-25 feet-beautiful stuff. If you are dead-set on 8-10 feet, then try a more modest bamboo. Black bamboo is simply gorgeous and you can top it to form a hedge. Good luck!