Bamboo for Screening

How to choose bamboo for screening

Match the mature height to the sightline you need to block, because bamboo will not stop short of its natural height the way a clipped hedge does. For a fence line or courtyard, Chinese Dwarf Bamboo (Bambusa guangxiensis 'Chinese Dwarf') tops out around 2.5m. Malay Dwarf sits near 5m, and Slender Weavers Bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis) reaches about 8m while staying only 2m wide, which is why it is the standard choice for narrow boundaries and two storey privacy. To block a three storey outlook, Timor Black and Giant Timber Bamboo both reach about 12m in a garden.

Cane colour is the tiebreaker: glossy black on Timor Black, chalky white on Ghost Bamboo, gold striped culms on China Gold.

Where a bamboo screen makes sense

These are warm climate plants. Everything here thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and shrugs off heat, humidity and wind. Most tolerate light frost only, so in cooler districts choose Goldstripe Bamboo, the frost hardy exception at about 5m, and avoid frost tender Timor Black. Because the clumps hold a small footprint, bamboo handles the jobs conventional hedging and screening plants struggle with: narrow side passages, poolside screens and boundaries where you cannot spare 2m of garden bed. Chinese Dwarf also grows happily in a large pot on a balcony.

Planting and spacing

Plant Slender Weavers 1m apart for a dense screen, Malay Dwarf and Timor Black 1.5m apart, and Giant Timber Bamboo 2m apart. Set the row at least 1m off the fence so the clump has room to thicken without pushing on the palings. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in heavily and mulch 75mm deep. Bamboo is a giant grass with shallow roots, so consistent moisture in the top of the soil matters more than deep cultivation.

Keeping a screen dense and tidy

Water generously through the first two summers and feed in spring and midsummer with a nitrogen rich fertiliser; being a grass, bamboo responds to lawn food. Thin the oldest canes at ground level each winter to let light into the clump. To hold a lower height, cut individual culms at the height you want; they bush out below the cut rather than regrowing taller. Our guide to bamboo for screening privacy covers the first two years in detail.

Common questions

Will clumping bamboo take over the garden?

No. A clumping bamboo expands slowly from the original crown, and Slender Weavers holds a base of about 1m to 2m across. The horror stories belong to running species, and none appear in this collection.

Is bamboo safe near pools and paving?

Clumping bamboo is one of the safest tall screens near hard surfaces. Slender Weavers, Giant Timber, White Bamboo and Ghost Bamboo all carry our non invasive roots flag, and several are proven poolside performers.

Is bamboo pet friendly?

Most of this range carries our Pet Friendly flag, including Slender Weavers, Chinese Dwarf, Timor Black and Giant Timber Bamboo. Check the flag on each product page before you buy, and the full bamboo collection shows every variety we grow.

How is bamboo delivered?

Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.