Zone 5 hardy large bamboo?

[HostaDesigner]

Any suggestions? I'd love to grow a large bamboo, but I'm not too sure what's hardy around here. Plus I'm worried about containing it. I've heard of aluminum roof flashing buried in a circle around it, but I've never done it. In there any bamboo that's not too ruthless, but hardy in zone 5?

[Kas]

Go to the Bamboo Garden Nursery site at bamboogarden.com and also bamboogardenswa.com. They will have info on the hardiness of lots of them. Just don't plant any of the S. fastuosa. The guy at Bamboo Gardens of Washington told me to only plant it in the ground if I was planting it in the yard of someone I really hate. It was in a pot at the time, which is fine for that one.

We are in zone 7 here. I have a P. bisseteii and a P. nigra in the ground in my yard. The bissetii has jumped the barrier, but I only have to pull on the culm and it pops out of the ground. It would be harder if it had gone under, rather than over the barrier. We bought the special bamboo barrier these nurseries sell. I think the main thing is to angle the barrier so it is smaller at the bottom and bigger at the top. It also has to slightly protrude from the ground so you can check for jumpers. If you see any, just cut them with your pruners.

Kas

[HostaDesigner]

Thanks. That website is very informative.