We get it. Bamboo is ... well, it’s just bamboo. It’s perfect! A lofty, elegant plant perfect for hiding ugly sheds and stopping nosy neighbours looking into your garden. However, there is an invasive and problematic side to this seemingly innocent plant.

Dubbed by experts to be the “new Japanese knotweed”, bamboo has been making headlines across the UK for a number of years; mainly, for damaging fences, patios and some buildings (like conservatories) and for starting fights between neighbours. If you’re a homeowner, here’s what you need to know.

Why is bamboo only a problem now?

Bamboo was first planted in the UK in 1826, before Queen Victoria could even find it amusing. Since then it has only grown (get it) in popularity. However, it was in the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s that bamboo, with all its sleek and stylish glory, burst onto our TV screens and became as trendy as trendy gets.

Why not plant bamboo, we thought? It grows quickly, needs very little maintenance and keeps its leaves year round? So, the good British public did what the good British public are wont to do – they followed the commandments of national treasure Alan Titchmarsh and planted bamboo in their gardens with haste and happiness. Little did they know, little did anyone know, the dangers bamboo would pose many years later.

Bamboo has now had upwards of thirty years to grow up and out, spreading widely under patios and across property boundary lines. It’s had plenty of time to stretch its limbs in search of water in our increasingly warm and dry country. (Thanks, climate change.)

Bamboo’s invasive nature today

Bamboo, especially running bamboo, has always had invasive tendencies. A bit like Japanese knotweed’s upstart younger brother, bamboo is now troublesome enough that surveyors, insurers and property owners are starting to pay serious attention.

There are two main types of bamboo: clumping and running. Clumping bamboo is the least problematic of the two. However, don’t be fooled! Even though it doesn’t travel as far as running bamboo, it can still cross property boundaries and lift patio slabs and the like.   

The real issue here, though, is running bamboo. Its rhizomes travel horizontally underground, often far beyond the original planting area. These underground runners can snake beneath fences, patios, decking and garden walls before popping up metres away from where the plant was first introduced. One day you’ve got a calming Zen-inspired garden border; the next, your neighbour’s found bamboo shoots emerging through their flower beds.

Why bamboo causes so many problems

The biggest issue with bamboo is not simply that it grows quickly, the real issue is that bamboo grows aggressively and often invisibly until the damage is already done. Running bamboo can force its way beneath paving slabs, distort patios, damage garden paths and exploit weaknesses in conservatory bases and other lightweight structures.   

While it is unlikely to punch dramatically through solid concrete foundations like some tabloid headlines might suggest, it can exploit cracks, joints and weak points in structures over time. Its underground rhizomes won’t let a good opportunity pass them by! If there’s space to move into it will, which is why neighbourly tension is on the rise!

Bamboo and property value

Another growing concern is the impact bamboo can have on property, as buyers are more cautious about properties with unmanaged growth. Surveyors are also more likely to flag invasive bamboo during inspections, particularly if there is visible evidence of spread or structural impact.

Bamboo removal

Removing bamboo is not as simple as cutting it down, because the real battle lies underground. To fully eradicate bamboo, the rhizome network needs to be excavated completely, so if you miss sections of rhizome it can sprout up again next year.   

Depending on the scale of the infestation, removal can involve extensive digging, waste disposal, specialist treatment and ongoing monitoring. In severe cases, entire patios, lawns and landscaped areas may need to be lifted just to access the root system underneath. 

So, how invasive and problematic is bamboo really? We think pretty invasive and problematic!   

Ready to say ByeByeBamboo and hello property peace? Contact our friendly team today!