Please note, this plant can have disastrous consequences on your home, but also cost you very dear.
Many garden owners have already adopted this tropical plant in their garden. It offers a green atmosphere, grows quickly, requires little maintenance, is more elegant than many shrubs, and is ideal as a shot. But beware, you could very quickly regret having planted it in your garden. Behind its Zen appearance and its soothing foliage hides a formidably invasive species, capable of transforming your garden into a real jungle … and threatening the structures of your home and those of your neighbors.
In just a few months, this pretty plant could well push through the lawn, sneak under the fences, crack voting terrace, damage your pipes, or invade the alley of your neighbor. It is not the plant in itself that poses a problem, but its roots. If you have a garden, and want to add a tropical touch to your garden, beware … bamboo.
All varieties of bamboo are not a problem. It is mainly tracing bamboo, such as Phyllostachys Aurea or Phyllostachys Nigra, who worry the gardening professionals. These species propagate at an impressive speed thanks to a system of rhizomes, underground stems, which extend over several meters in only months. Imagine surprised appearances between the slabs of your terrace!
Result: an uncontrollable invasion that often overflows in neighbors, colonizes lawns, and which can cause damage to patios and terraces, pipes, and even to the foundations of houses. It is therefore absolutely advised not to plant them in the ground if you do not want to meet this type of problem. In addition, once well established, bamboo is hell to remove, and it can cost you dearly. Repeated uprooting, anti-rhizomes (often ineffective so badly posed) and sometimes use chemical methods. The struggle can last for years. And as bamboo often grow discreetly, you might not notice the problem before it spreads far beyond your massif.
If your bamboo (or more precisely the rhizomes) damages the garden, the terrace or your neighbor’s house, it could cost you dearly. You may have to pay damages to your neighbor (cost of work to eliminate rhizomes, but also to repair degraded elements).
If you want to integrate this plant into your garden, favor non -tracing varieties (Fargesia), which grow in tuft and do not extend uncontrolled. And above all, install a rigid plastic anti-rhizomes barrier at least 60 to 80 cm deep, tilting it outwards to prevent the roots from passing under or around.