They do replace leaves gradually, but it's trivial compared to deciduous trees. They only shed a lot of leaves in places with really cold, snowy winters. In my area (Seattle), I probably get a couple of percent leaf loss in the course of a year. In your area, you'll also get some leaf loss, but it's just a gradual thing: new leaves come in and a few older leaves will occasioanlly yellow and drop off. It should be a non-issue for you in my opinion.

I think that the culm sheaths might end being your biggest worry. They are big (with big Oldhamii) and float...right into your pool skimmer.

One thing you might want to do is size up the predominate breeze/wind direction. If you plant downwind from your pool, you'll reduce your issues.

SoCalBoo-
That's an angle I hadn't thought of, but it's still not very many sheaths per culm, and they're going to drop to the ground unless there's a really strong wind.

be careful--new shoots and rhizomes have been known to completely unearth in-ground pools.

Just kidding.

retto-
You are just evil sometimes!!!

I know. My timber bamboo has raised my whole house from a ranch to a colonial....lol

Just be prepared to clean the skimmer on a regular basis. Really, just about any plant that provides shade or screening is going to shed leaves so that's just something you have to deal with unless you plant cacti or palms and are prepared to wait many years for them to provide any real screening. Bamboo can be impressive in 3 years or so.

As for mess, most of my plants drop various amounts of debris all year, most in the spring and fall. Some species drop more than others as well. Bambusa oldhamii is not too bad, the messiest I have Dendrocalamus latifloris 'Mei Nung'. I think the amount of droppings from the Oldhamii would be comparable to a like-sized Eucalyptus. I don't have a pool but I think everything that drops off floats, at least initially, so your skimmer will be the first line of defense.

You don't need Giant timber bamboo, which won't be giant for 5 or more years.

A fast-growing clumper such as Bambusa tuldoides will give you 1-inch, 20-fit culms in 1 year, and 2-inch, 40-ft culms in 2 years, with no worry about the rhizomes running all over the lot. Plant a few B. tuldoide divisons every 4 or 5 feet along the line of your screen and stand back.

btw, the foliage can be quite dense up to 40+ feet, so it's probably the shadow of the bamboo is going to reduce the solar heathing of the pool if the bamboo is planted south of the pool.

The culm sheaths are quite stiff and stable (don't wither up like green leaves) and heavier than leaves, but don't fall that far from the bamboo, and certainly don't blow all over the place like light-weight dead leaves in the slightest wind.

What about black bamboo? How far away from a pool would that have to be? I'm more worried about rhizomes than leaves.

Wet_Puppy-
What are you worried about? If it's a concrete pool, there's no worry, and I doubt that it's a worry with a fibreglas pool. But I have seen black bamboo rhizomes pierce 40 mil EPDM pond liner.

It's a concrete pool. I'm new to bamboo, so I'm probably worrying needlessly because of hearing silly bamboo horror stories.

I was mainly worried that rhizomes would mess with the underground equipment or something. Or maybe crack the cement decking around the pool.

The black bamboo that I bought is only about 2' tall, so now's the time to figure out if I planted it in the right spot or not. :)

Wet_Puppy-
You'll be fine. People like to tell bamboo horror stories, but they typically are passing on urban legends and, when questioned, admit that they actually haven't seen the problem themselves. I'd worry more about trees near my pool decking. Tree roots expand in diameter over time and can displace or crack sidewalks; bamboo rhizomes don't. Bamboo rhizomes also typically stay within about a foot or two of the surface, so I don't think you have to worry about them deep-diving. And even if they met up with your underground plumbing, there's no way for them to get in. Enjoy your pool and your bamboo. The only "horror story" about bamboo that's true is that it will spread if you are irresponsible and don't bother to maintain it over the years. Just remember to do some rhizome pruning with a shovel to keep the bamboo where you want it.

This thread I found in the landscape design forums may be some help

Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/design/msg0712420316582.html?6

Excellent. Thank you for putting my mind to rest about the bamboo. Now I'll just worry about the oak tree roots. LOL.