Bamboo is perfect for screening.I am near you and I grow 29 different species. If you'd like to stop by and check it out send me a pm. If you were to have a barrier installed between the bamboo and the wall you won't have to worry about it. Those would be nice sized plants to start with. There are bamboo nurseries in the area where you live. Make sure they are hardy to your zone before you buy.

6-8ft is actually very short for bamboo, but the fargesias typically grow to that size and they are non-invasive plants. Growing a row of lets say fargesia robusta 6ft apart will get you a nice 6ft tall screen in a couple years if you start out with 1-2 gallon sized plants.

I should point out that, if you plant a running bamboo rather than a clumping bamboo, you could have a problem with the retaining wall in the future. It's not that the bamboo will damage the wall, but the rhizomes are likely to go under the wall at some point and then send up shoots from the higher level of soil. I was once involved with a bamboo removal project where someone had planted Arrow bamboo near a 2' high retaining wall that separated the yard from that of the next door neighbor's. The bamboo had sent rhizomes up under the wall and the neighbor had a nice little grove of bamboo developing. If you plant a runner, it would be safest to use barrier on all sides.

If you plant a screen of F. robusta in zone 6, you'll likely end up with a row of dead plants in a few years. Robusta is really not that cold-hardy.

I meant rufa, robusta actually top killed for me.

Hi, I live in Columbus and am also interested in a non-running bamboo. I have some areas that are partial shade and a little bit of full sun. Am considering Fargesia Rufa and would love to hear results in this area. Would LOVE to see if it you aren't too far away too, but not required. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.