Cactus Jungle offers the best selection of running bamboos for the Bay Area.

All running bamboos can be contained in pots, troughs, or with rhizome barrier.

In the ground they will form a dense screen in 2-3 years.

Running Bamboo

Black Bamboo
Rich dense growth, edible shoots. Glossy black culms darken with age, used in fine crafts and furniture. Good in plante... Phyllostachys nigra Black Bamboo
Arrow Bamboo
Erect culms with large leaves up to a foot long. Good for indoor or outdoor container gardening, and for use as a screen. ... Pseudosasa japonica Arrow Bamboo
Temple Bamboo
Very vertical, tall architectural form. Makes good borders. Stately culms fade to purple with age. Withstands maritime ... Semiarundinaria fastuosa Temple Bamboo