Bamboo is a relatively innocuous plant. Or is it? Recent accounts of this exotic import liken the plant to the invasive species whose name evokes terror for homeowners: Japanese Knotweed.
Bamboo is a very popular plant, hitting peak fashion on garden shows in the 90’s and early 00’s, it is commonly used as an ornamental screen owing to the tall, fast-growing shoots providing an aesthetically pleasing barrier. However, this gardening fad is now sprouting up issues for homeowners.
So, why is this a problem?
While the rapid growing properties of the bamboo are often attributed as a benefit of the plant it is not just above the ground that bamboo grows. Bamboo has been recorded to be able to grow as fast as 1-metre high in a 24-hour period, but below the surface the plant can grow rhizomes (underground roots) as deep as 5 metres.
There are over 1000’s different varieties of bamboo, however they can be broadly grouped into two categories: clumping or running. It is typically the running type that presents to be the most problematic, but what are the differences?
Clumping bamboo has sympodial rhizomes. Sympodial rhizomes tend to grow vertically in small clusters in close proximity to the parent plant and so remains, for the most part, in the intended planting patch.
Comparatively, running bamboo is monopodial and therefore considered more invasive with the rhizomes growing horizontally, effectively running away from the parent plant (as younglings are wont to do).
This can be a huge problem for ignorant or clumsy gardeners as, in part due to the asexual propagation in bamboo, once the plants reach maturity they can propagate at incredible speeds.
If given favourable conditions, running bamboo can spread very quickly, often burrowing beneath garden topsoil unbeknownst to homeowners until the thick sharp stems shoot up. These shoots are incredibly strong and can push through hard surfaces such as paving, tarmac, and even house foundations.
Given the warmer weather the UK has been facing in recent years due to climate change, it is thought that the increase in soil temperature has helped contribute to the proliferation of invasive bamboo.
How can bamboo cause legal disputes?
Although it is a popular choice for feature plants or hedge alternatives, due to the privacy offered by the tall stems, this has proven to be consequential down the line. Without careful planning and the necessary precautions taken, these living fences of bamboo have spread far beyond their intended planting area, encroaching into neighbouring properties and causing legal disputes where the bamboo has caused property damage.
Additionally, as bamboo can take over a decade to fully mature, many new homeowners or tenants inherit the problem set into effect by the previous inhabitants. As, despite invasive nature, bamboo isn’t classed as an invasive species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and therefore there are no restrictions on planting bamboo or disclosing it when selling the property.
How to remove bamboo and prevent it from spreading
The only way to effectively remove bamboo is to dig out all of the rhizomes of the plant. This can be a labour-intensive and costly exercise, especially if the rhizomes have spread a great distance. Where running bamboo has been planted particularly close to the building structure, there have been cases where the ground floor flooring has had to be removed to excavate the plant.
There are effective ways to kill or control the growth of bamboo with treatments such as herbicides. However, the method and application of the treatment is dependent on the species of bamboo and the level of current growth, which may require the assistance of a professional to properly assess.
If you are looking to incorporate bamboo into your garden plans, research is key. Make sure you are purchasing a clumping bamboo plant, most garden centres and suppliers will mark or limit their sales to this variety, but it is your responsibility to check what it is you’re planting. Even with clumping bamboo, it is recommended to use containers as a precaution to minimise any risk of spread.