Sorry I meant Moso timber banboo.....

Neither species would be a good choice if you are wanting privacy. Large timber species don't put out lower branches once they size up. You will see right through the culms at whatever you weren't wanting to see.
Chris

Thank you for letting me know. I will still grow the bamboo just not as a privacy screen. Now the search for a fast growing privacy screen continues : )

There are many, many choices out there. Golden is popular, yellow groove,bisetti,even black, though it is a bit slower, but worth it.

I have my Henon in a 9' X 27' area and it makes an excellent barrier/privacy screen. It is a small enough area where it never reaches full size, only about 20 feet tall and culms about 2 inches thick. It is a great windbreak also.

My Moso is not planted inside of a barrier and after about 9 years, it is still a good barrier also, although I keep it trimmed back to a small area, which keeps it small and thick making it a good privacy screen also.

Kt

Low branching will occur if planting area is in enough light. My henon isn't even as large as your diameter, but is taller and I have no branching below 6-7'. All about light availability. Most of my plantings, once they get dense enough usually are competing for light up high.
Chris

I agree, Chris. Light plays a large part in thickness of a grove. My Henon and Moso both start to branch about 2 to 3 feet from the ground here. How tall is yours??

I also agree with your other picks as 'better' choices. One thing though, P. nigra(black), is a very rampant spreader here. From a one gallon pot, in it's first year, it put up it's first shoot 15 feet away from the original plant. It runs like wildfire, but never reaches very large size.

Kt