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Bamboo Guide

Identify

Inspect

Treat

Prevent

Bamboo Identification Guide

What Is Bamboo?

Bamboo is easily identifiable due to its widespread use in landscaping, interior design, and construction. While it's valued for its aesthetic appeal and even culinary uses, bamboo can become an unwanted invader in your yard or garden. This guide will help you understand how to manage and control bamboo growth and prevent its spread.

One of the most common and fast-growing types of bamboo in the U.S. is Golden bamboo

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Characteristics of Bamboo

What Does Bamboo Look Like?

Bamboo, also known as culms, is a type of grass with woody stalks that can grow up to 30 feet tall. The stalks are segmented at the nodes along their length, which creates the distinct appearance bamboo is known for. Bamboo plants may also produce narrow green leaves that typically grow around 6 inches in length. These leaves sprout from stems that emerge from the nodes along the height of the plant.

Characteristics of Bamboo
Bamboo stands out in comparison to other trees or tree-like plants due to its unique features. Golden bamboo, in particular, displays the following distinctive traits:

  • Forms large clumps or "stands" that can overshadow other plants
  • Evergreen, with a green to golden-green color and rings at each node
  • Typically grows to a height of 10-20 feet, though it can reach up to 30 feet
  • Known for being invasive in many areas and countries
  • Rarely flowers or produces seeds

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For more details on how to control bamboo growth on your property, check out our bamboo weed control guide.

Bamboo Inspection Guide

What Should I Know to Identify Bamboo?

Bamboo is one of the most common non-timber plants found around the world, and many species can be challenging to manage as they spread beyond their original planting area. Understanding where bamboo grows best and how extensive its root system can become is crucial for effectively controlling bamboo growth on your property.

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Where Is Bamboo Likely to Grow?

In the United States, bamboo species that thrive are most commonly found in the eastern and southeastern regions. Bamboo groves or clusters can be spotted as far north as New Jersey, stretching down to Florida, and westward to Texas.

Bamboo can take root in diverse environments, including fully wooded areas, where it can start competing with other vegetation for essential resources like nutrients and water.

Bamboo plants flourish in fertile, loamy soil, which typically consists of sand, clay, and organic matter. The soil's pH level, ideally between 6.0 and 7.0, is most suitable for bamboo. These plants are resilient and can tolerate less optimal soil conditions, provided there is good drainage to avoid root rot.

Bamboo grows best in areas that receive ample sunlight during the day. Most varieties prefer bright, direct or indirect sunlight for extended hours. While bamboo can survive in shaded spots, growth is typically slower.

When Does Bamboo Begin to Grow?

"Clumping bamboo," which produces vertical shoots, typically starts growing in the spring. New shoots will continue to emerge in established bamboo areas each spring unless controlled. These plants grow for about 60 days during spring, reaching their full height and thickness for the season.

"Running bamboo," known for its spreading rhizome roots either above or below the ground, grows primarily during the summer and into the fall. These varieties are more likely to be invasive, as they can easily cross property lines or landscaping boundaries.

Bamboo Treatment Guide

What Are the Best Methods for Controlling Bamboo?

Bamboo can be challenging to control, particularly once it has become established. However, with consistent management techniques, the rapidly spreading shoots can be suppressed and eventually removed.

Use the guide below to explore the recommended methods for controlling bamboo, and visit our Bamboo Prevention Guide to learn how to prevent new growth from emerging.

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Step1 Control Bamboo Growth with Physical Barriers

To manage unwanted bamboo growth, constructing physical barriers around existing bamboo patches can be effective. Bamboo’s underground rhizome roots do not extend very deeply, so a strong barrier made of concrete, high-density plastic, or treated wood that goes at least 20 inches into the soil can prevent its spread.

Plastic rhizome barriers, often regarded as the most effective containment solution, are available for purchase. A single sheet of 30 or 40 mil plastic can create a complete barrier with a single seam, making it more durable than alternatives like metal or wood barriers, which often require multiple seams where bamboo roots might escape.

To begin, remove as much of the existing root system as possible using hand tools. Make sure to eliminate all visible bamboo roots, as even small remnants can quickly regenerate and spread.

If the bamboo has spread from a neighboring property, consider digging a trench along the perimeter to expose and remove the rhizomes or culms responsible for the growth. You may need a saw or other cutting tool if the roots are well-established.

Step2 Control Small Bamboo Shoots by Mowing

Regular mowing can help manage smaller bamboo plants by cutting them back and preventing their spread. To effectively control bamboo, this mowing process should continue for two to three years, but it will help suppress the visible shoots in the meantime.

To maintain an effective mowing strategy, establish a buffer zone around the bamboo. Since some bamboo varieties can spread up to 15 feet horizontally each year, it's important to mow any new shoots that appear within a 20-foot buffer zone. Repeated mowing will help control the growth, as new shoots will emerge at different times.

Step3 Use a Post-Emergent Herbicide for Bamboo Control

Chemical solutions are effective for controlling unwanted bamboo around your property. A post-emergent herbicide with the active ingredient glyphosate can help, but it requires some effort. To apply, cut bamboo shoots down to their stumps and treat the exposed ends directly with glyphosate. Additionally, any new leaves that grow from the stump should be sprayed with a 5% glyphosate solution.

Herbicides containing imazapyr, like Nufarm Polaris, are also effective against bamboo varieties, including the common golden bamboo. For imazapyr, dilute the product to about 1% and apply it to the bamboo’s leaves or shoots.

Controlling established bamboo typically requires multiple treatments over several years.

Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling or applying herbicides. This includes long pants, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, chemical-resistant gloves, and socks.

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Pro Tip

Imazapyr is more potent against bamboo, but it can have significant effects on nearby plants as well, potentially damaging their roots and soil. Because of this, it should not be used near desirable plants.

If bamboo is near a water source, ensure the herbicide you choose is labeled as safe for use around water to avoid contamination.

Once you've cleared the bamboo stalks from your lawn, discover how to prevent future infestations with our Bamboo Prevention Guide. Click the right arrow below to learn more.

Bamboo Prevention Guide

Bamboo Control & Lawn Care

Bamboo is a type of grass, but preventing new bamboo growth isn't as straightforward as simply mowing your lawn.

Stopping bamboo from spreading on your property can be difficult, especially if established clumps are nearby. The underground rhizomes bamboo produces to spread can grow as thick and strong as full-grown bamboo stalks.

Use the tips in this guide to help make your lawn less susceptible to unwanted bamboo growth.

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Step1 Use Physical Barriers to Prevent Bamboo Spread

If there are established bamboo stalks near your property—whether in a neighboring yard or landscaped area—there’s a high chance that their extensive underground rhizome network has extended toward your land.

Focus on prevention and stay vigilant for new shoots that may appear in the spring. If new shoots break through near your property, this will give you an indication of where the bamboo’s roots are heading. By digging a small trench along the perimeter of your yard, you can assess how far the bamboo’s rhizomes have spread and cut them to stop further growth.

For a more permanent solution, consider installing a plastic rhizome barrier (40 or 60 mil thickness) in the soil along the borders where bamboo may be encroaching. Ideally, the barrier should be placed around the bamboo clump itself, but even if that’s not possible, it can still prevent bamboo’s underground rhizomes from spreading and force them to grow up and out of the soil before they can establish a network in your yard.

Pro Tip

You can also reinforce containment by planting dense-rooted plants along property borders to block the spread of bamboo. Flowering plants like hostas or irises can strengthen your defense against bamboo.

Step2 Make Your Lawn’s pH Unfriendly to Bamboo

Bamboo thrives in slightly acidic soil. Ideal conditions for bamboo growth are fertile soil with good drainage and a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. To determine your lawn’s pH and other important soil details, use a home soil test kit.

Once you know your soil’s pH, you can make adjustments to discourage bamboo growth. However, it’s essential to consider the needs of your turf and any other desirable plants nearby. If your plants tolerate alkaline soil, adding lime can raise the pH and create a more alkaline environment where bamboo struggles to thrive. The increased alkalinity would hinder bamboo’s ability to absorb essential nutrients, limiting its spread.

If the surrounding plants are more suited to acidic soil, you can lower the pH by adding aluminum sulfate, iron sulfate, or certain organic mulches. This will make the soil less hospitable to bamboo, reducing the likelihood of an invasion.

Step3 Mowing to Control Bamboo Growth

If small bamboo shoots appear in your lawn during the spring, trim them immediately and mow the area consistently to prevent further growth.

For larger shoots, use hand tools to cut them back. Regular mowing and cutting are essential for bamboo suppression, as frequent trimming helps deplete the underground rhizomes, preventing the bamboo from spreading.

If bamboo has managed to invade your lawn, discover how to manage and control its growth with our Bamboo Treatment Guide.

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