First off, if by Black Bamboo you mean Phyllostachys nigra, then it is most definitely NOT a clumper--it's a RUNNER though not as aggressive as others of this genus. Nigra is cold hardy to zone 7--and even so, it will burn some in the coldest Winters, especially before it is established. Bambusa multiplex (which I do not have) is only hardy to zone 8--it IS a clumper. Most of the clumpers are either tropical (zone 6 would be too cold) or subtropical-mountain (Kentucky may be too HOT and too COLD for these). I do grown the clumbing, subtropical-mountain variety Fargesia but they have only been successful in a shaded, eastern exposure which is protected from the hottest sun.

Any bamboo that I could grow there that is low-maintanence?

You are going to have to provide more details about the exposure that the plants will be getting (shaded? or full sun? Exposure--morning/afternoon/noon/full day sun? etc., I see that some species of Fargesia would be listed as hardy to zone 6 (some sources say 5 but I am skeptical of that claim). Big thing is how much protection they'll be getting from sun, hot winds, cold winds, etc.. Also, these plants are not the cheapest. My local Lowe's was selling them for $16.00 for a small pot of them. Though, they have in relatively short period of time grown very well and I have divided them yearly to expand a hedge (so you do eventually get 'free' propagated plants--as long as they are happy in their situation (not too hot, not too cold and abundant soil moisture). I have the species Fargesia rufa and it has been doing VERY WELLl in a shaded eastern exposure--NO full day, hot sun. I had them originally in a western exposure a few years ago and they burned up from both summer heat AND winter cold! But don't expect an instant privacy like you'd get with a runner--you'll eventually get it with Fargesia, but it takes several years (and assuming it likes your climate and exposure). Good luck!

Ill have to give you more details if I move there because I have no idea. Im very sad that I cant grow golden goddess because I really like that type.

njoasis: How tall do some of the fargesia bamboos get?

The most common fargesias you are likely to be able to easily obtain have a mature height of 12'-16'. Be aware that even the hardiest fargesias will likely get winter damage in your area. Below is a picture of a Fargesia robusta -- hardy to 0 degrees F -- with topkill in a Zone 6 winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: F. robusta topkill

Wow, that looks dead, lol. How long would it take to recover?

Well, hardiness temperatures for bamboo refer to the minimum temperature the root system can survive. However, the plant often has severe damage aboveground at temperatures 0-15 degrees above the listed hardiness temperature. So that picture I linked to is a bamboo that lost all of its surface grpowth, but probably survived to put up new shoots the next year. My Zone is temperate enough that 95% of my bamboo stay evergreen through the winter. However, in colder Zones like yours, most of my bamboo would look like that photo. The problem with having bamboo that get top-killed every year is that they typically do not produce the kind of vigorous growth that they display in more temperate Zones. That means it takes more years for them to size up, and they sometimes never reach their maximum potential size.

Well, I have p. Nigra Henon, the 'gray' bamboo, have had it for at least 8 years- it's zone 7 too, and if winter gets below 0 degrees F, all the tops that are above the snow winter kill. It'll come back from the roots, but won't be big culms. If you have a way to cover the whole plant (like using big plastic sheeting that you can wrap around the entire plant!), you may be able to keep it from freezing in the dead of winter, but you want to apply the shield after the ground is frozen solid, which also helps keep those rodent pests from chewing holes in the plastic and making nests in the bamboo. Ours is still alive, but does not spread fast at ALL. It also is not gray, though if the grove gets large enough (last two winters haven't gone below zero yet), maybe it'll get enough shade to start turning gray. The other boos I have that survive are yellow crookstem, some sort of type (bissetti?) that is very hardy, and p. aureasulcata. So far so good!

I live in Utah Zone 6 nad have two Fargesia Rufas growing now on their second year. They like shade and no afternoon sun. I have one on the north side of a house and the other on the east side of a fence. Both are doing great and had minimal leaf burn last winter. They doubled in size this year going from about 16" to about 32" tall. I heard they would reach a max height of about 10' - 12' in my climate. They are clumping. May work well ina shady spot in KY.

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