Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' commonly called the slender weavers bamboo is the perfect screening plant for Sydney. This bamboo is very popular because it has dense and straight growth which can look like a wall. It is also ideal in relatively narrow garden beds. It can form a vertical screen two stories high (grows at least 5-6m tall in Sydney and other southern regions of Australia). The culms or poles are thin and have long internodes and also do not have branches or leaves on the bottom quarter. If the leaves are neatly pruned at a height, this bamboo looks very striking in the garden with thin stems and a mass of lush green leaves - almost like a topiary.

Bamboos are amongst the fastest-growing plants in the world, so they are an excellent choice to quickly erect a green privacy screen. Bamboo also produces about 35% more oxygen than an equivalent space of trees so makes an excellent addition to your garden.

Spacing your plant: Depending upon your requirements and budget you can space your plants anywhere from 0.5m to 2m apart. For wider garden beds (wider than 1m), 1m spacing is ideal -the culms will join together forming a dense continuous privacy screen within 3 years. If planted 1.5 - 2m apart, the base will look disjointed but the tops will still look like a complete screen. For narrower garden bends (0.5-1m), plant growth will be slower because of lesser space for the roots. In this situation, spacing your plant 0.5-1m apart would be recommended. 

Planting location: This is a clumping variety that is different from the invasive running varieties in having a far more controlled spread. However, to avoid the bamboo from growing under your fence and into the neighboring property, plant at a minimum of 0.5m away from fences, or use a root barrier.