If you have to grow bamboo, please make sure to contain it. Clumping is better than running, but it still should be planted enclosed by a proper root barrier to keep it under control. The faster growing it is, the harder it is to control. I can't recommend a good variety to you, sorry, but I will also mention that our neighbor's bamboo flops all over when it rains and whips around in winds, breaking the nearby ornamental tree. If you're picking a tall variety, consider how you will keep it upright, as well ... it will not provide privacy if it is flopped over whenever wet.

Even clumping bamboo marches toward where you don't want it to. My neighbor planted clumping bamboo too close to the property line, and it has been encroaching ever since. I HATE IT.

Running bamboo is a SCOURGE.

Now, privacy in SoCal is easy to achieve with giant bushes/trees, that grow very fast. Google "Hollywood style hedges". There are several wonderful varieties that will grow fast without ruining your (and your neighbors') yards.

Clumping bamboos vary a lot in their rambunctiousness. We use several patches of B.m. 'Golden Goddess' for screening purposes, for which it is well suited. But they are both surrounded by 3' and wider concrete walks and patios, and I would not choose to grow it without that containment! The robustness of the plant requires a fair amount of maintenance (mainly heavy thinning and leaf drop removal). Trying to restrict the robust growth without containment would be a real chore, unless it is planted in a very large plot where it can be allowed the freedom to spread.

Our clumping Himalayan Blue bamboo, on the other hand, never requires thinning and spreads slowly enough that the only containment needed is on one side to keep it from visiting the neighbors, and the very, very rare sprout prune heading into the steppingstone walk. Likely the sluggishness is due to it not being well adapted to the SoCal climate and our sandy soil.

And on the other end of the robustness spectrum is an individual specimen that was purchased as B.m. 'Alphonse Karr'. But it maxed out at 2-2.5' in height and has spread only 6" in 15 years. I have no idea what it really is, but it is not 'Alphonse Karr', and that particular individual isn't working as a screen. lol

So be careful choosing even clumping types for use in open areas. Since you want a fast grower, realize they will also spread quicker, and are more likely to get out of hand. Bamboo can take at least a few years to get established and can give a temporary false sense of being appropriate for the site, and not much trouble to maintain and contain, during that period.

I am planning on instaling a thick barrier with the bamboo (as ive heard they break thin ones). I just need to decide on a variety which is hard cause I never knew there were so many types.

If planning to buy locally go see what they have. Instead of choosing a kind beforehand, only to discover it's not on offer where you are likely to shop.

You've gotten several less-than-informed or alarmist opinions here. I've been growing many species of bamboo for over 20 years. At my current house, which I've been in for 17 years, I have a number of clumping bamboo, none of which have barriers. It is true that they will gradually expand over the years, but generally not at the pace several people here seem to think they do.

You might want to consider one of the Fargesia species. The ones I have started out as five gallon pots when I first moved in almost 2 decades ago, and now they have expanded at the base to 2-3 feet in diameter. There is one species that has gotten bigger: about 3' X 6' at the base. but I recently spent an hour taking divisions from the edges to reduce it in size a bit and to gave them to friends. It is generally much easier to take divisions off clumping bamboo like Fargesias, because the root system doesn't go any deeper than a foot, and the rhizomes are easily severed...unlike many of the running bamboo I grow. Even if you put in barrier to keep a clumping bamboo to a small size, you will still have to take divisions once it fills out the space within the barrier as it will start to get rootbound. I do use barrier with most of my runners, but I see little point in using it with clumpers. I'm in Zone 8B, so I I'm not able to grow some of the clumpers you can in Zone 9B, so there may be some species available to you that will grow bigger and expand faster than I have experienced, but a nursery in your area specializing in bamboo should be able to help you choose what's right for your situation.

Some additional details might help. How tall of a screen do you need? Is bamboo the plant you want, or is that just the solution you have come up with due to a lack of other planting ideas? The reason I ask, is that in frequently small-yarded neighbors-too-close SoCal, bamboo is often the only idea many homeowners settle on, while not adequately exploring other planting options that would be more suitable for the situation. Don't get me wrong--a beautiful stand of bamboo is breathtaking. It is just that bamboo is also a frequent subject for homeowner's planting regret and can result in a costly removal being required down the road.

Thank you everyone for the responses! The bamboo isn’t going to be planted close enough to the neighbors to become invasive on their property. There is a huge gorge with a creek separating them from us. It’s just to go in front of a see through chain link fence and hopefully give the height needed, 15+ feet to block their view of our home. I’ve decided on a few varieties. Gracilis, Giant timber, seabreeze, Alphonse karr, or Mexican weeping bamboo. any thoughts on these..? I’m in Riverside for area reference so we get heat. There is a watering line with sprayers already installed for the bamboo.

My thoughts remain the same - if you are planning to buy from a general garden center you need to see what they have and then work from there. And if you are planning to take your business to a bamboo specialist instead they can advise you on what would work in your situation after you appear at their operation - coming up with a shopping list beforehand is the cart before the horse.

Bamboo Sources (bambooweb.info)