Phyllostachys kwangsiensis - This bamboo is extremely rare in the US but available if you search far & wide.  Kwangsiensis has quite a reputation, often being called the 'Moso of the North'.  The 'Moso' reference relates to the fuzzy culms, small leaves and very good size potential.  Winter hardiness is reported to be a few degrees below zero, so I am really hoping this lives up to its reputation. I will container grow mine until the spring of 2008 so no data will be available for quite some time.

    Planted out in the spring of 2008 as planned, the following winter of 2008-09 was brutal here and this species like most others suffered significant damage. It did produce some new, small culms in the spring of 2009 and then in August it produced 2 taller shoots that are very late to winter over here. Therefore I covered all culms in plastic in December and left them until February. We ended up having a very mild winter and the late fall culms leafed out in the spring of 2010. The new shoots (below) in 2010 are considerably larger and this bamboo looks to be well on the way to establishing. The new culms are totally covered in fuzz and the shoots are quite attractive.
     UPDATE - Sadly this plant has gone into full flower here and in other places across Europe. Mine has not set any seed yet and I do not know if the plant will soon die off. Many species of bamboo will die after flowering but not always so I continue to feed and water mine in hopes that it will come out of the flowering stage alive.