I live in Seattle and have had a wall of bamboo for 25 years now. When we bought the house we had 3 feet of it and gradually we dug up and transplanted it to be as it is. It is 20 feet long and 6 feet wide. The first 15 years were great and now we wish we'd never encouraged it! It is the plant from hell.

We did not use a barrier and now it is coming up in our neighbors yard 50 feet away and all over in our lovely garden. We have tried everything to kill the plant where it comes up and nothing does it for long. The best thing is to dig it out down a foot. and that only controls it at that spot. It pushes up the bricks in our patio, too. You cannot dig anywhere around it unless you use a hatchet! The roots are as thick and tough as the stalks. I recently carved a path of flagstone next to our gove and it was pure hell cutting through the roots. New shoots are coming up between the flagstones!!!

Yes, we loved it for the privacy and the exotic look--but I would NEVER plant it again. It is truly uncontrollable. I know the experts claim that barriers will stop it--but I'd talk to someone who has had bamboo with barriers for a long time before I'd chance this plant. It is really tough stuff. I doubt a barrier would control it. I'd investigate 'clumping' bamboo before I'd plant the creeping kind. Maybe it doesn't spread. Also, it is VERY messy as beige covers fall down all the time and must be swept up constantly. they do not decay and keep water from sinking into the ground.

Sorry to be so negetive-but I'd look into fence/vine combos, hedging, etc. Skip the bamboo!