I'm in Southern Calif. and want a container of bamboo on my patio.
I like the pictures I see of Oldhamii and particularly like its height.

My container is pretty big - 36" across and 30" deep.

Will Oldhamii do OK in a container?

Other varieties I see at the local nurseries are Alphonse Karr,
Golden Goddess and Black Bamboo.

Those all work OK in containers don't they?

thanks.

Oldhamii will grow in a container, but it prefers to be in proper soil! Once its roots have filled the container, it will start to look ill, unless you feed it. This applies to most bamboos as they can be very hungry! Remember that anything tall needs a certain amount of root space to be balanced up! Oldhamii can be a monster!

A black bamboo such as Phyllostachys Nigra will look nice in a pot, but again once it fills the pot it will need feeding in order to maintain its beauty. I'd probably go for this as a choice as I live in the UK, and Oldhammi isn't quite hardy enough for me.