Semiarundinaria fastuosa 'Viridis'              
    "Green Temple Bamboo"

     The rigidly upright, Green Temple Bamboo, we have found to be one of the best bamboos for creating a narrow, tall privacy screen. It has shorter, more numerous branches than Phyllostachys which give each culm a stately, columnar appearance. The leaves are slightly larger, lending to its qualities as a dense screen. 
S. fastuosa 'Viridis' retains a lush green color throughout all four seasons.  We have found this bamboo to be very wind resistant and tolerant of salty air coming off the ocean. It makes a fine container specimen and can be grown indoors for lengths at a time. I have found that after about eight months of growth indoors, it needs a couple months outside to rejuvenate.  However, with strong light and humidity found within an atrium or sunroom, it can probably remain indoors at all times and look reasonably healthy.
    It can be slow to spread initially, especially in colder climates, but, given plenty of the "big three": Sunlight, rich topsoil, and H20, 'Viridis' can be quite vigorous after it is established.  It is easy to keep this bamboo healthy and very forgiving for those who have (what's the opposite of a Green Thumb?).  It can be topped by clipping the culm just above a node to any desired height (even a short, square hedge, if one is into that sort of thing). The dense foliage grows back quickly covering up any scars.
   One of our favorite characteristics of Green Temple Bamboo is the culm sheaths on the new shoots:
A culm sheath is the protective cover enveloping the young, tender culm as it emerges from the ground. They are vibrant green with shades of lavender around the margins. When the branches of the new shoot are ready to open, the sheath is pushed away from the culm to rest at a 45° to 90° angle. At this time the color changes to light tan creating checkered contrast with the dark green culms. The technical term is "semi-persistent culm sheath", referring to their tendency to hang on the the culm for a couple months after their function has been served.
    This very hardy, versatile bamboo is underrated and deserves recognition as a top choice for creating tall, narrow privacy screens.