What is the absolute most invasive bamboo species?

stevelau1911 · Post by **stevelau1911** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:32 pm

From my knowledge so far P Aerosulcata can be very invasive, but I've always wondered what is #1 for invasiveness. Something that can take over a yard in 3 years, send rhizomes 30feet, or have deep rhizomes which are near impossible to remove. My mexican bamboo is pretty up there, except its not really a bamboo.

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Markj · Post by **Markj** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:45 pm

You need to get out more!!!

Or just sit back, relax and just read a tad more

Every single site or even country will have it's own answer, here Yushania are more invasive than the average Phyllostachys.....

stevelau1911 · Post by **stevelau1911** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:01 pm

Its more convenient to ask.

ghmerrill · Post by **ghmerrill** » Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:51 pm

I dont know about lenght of rhizome, etc, but one that would be a real bear to get rid of by digging out is Semiarundinaria fastuosa Viridis. very deep rhizome structure. if you plant this one and let it go a few years, you AINT moving it without mechanical help!

mantis · Post by **mantis** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:13 am

Golden Bamboo [/list]

dependable · Post by **dependable** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:15 am

Like Markj said, what does best (or is invasive) is site and climate specific. For instance, P aurea does well here, but gets set back by cold and wind every 5 years or so.

Mike McG · Post by **Mike McG** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:24 pm

dependable wrote:Like Markj said, what does best (or is invasive) is site and climate specific...

and I would add in some cases the specific plant.

I am presuming that “invasive” means running all over the place. For me here in central TX that would describe one of my Ph rubromarginata. It runs all over the place producing very small culms. My other Ph rubromarginata is much less aggressive, and more similar in behavior to some of my other Phyllostachys.

I dug both of these plants at Pat Hillery's place in Jarrell TX in Sept 02 just before she sold it. However, the "aggressive rubro” did not come from the known Ph rubromarginata grove area, instead it had been planted off on its own and was growing in a very tight clump. It was labeled U N K. After I dug it I found the roots were still in a tight circle like it was pot bound, and so I presume it probably had been planted that spring. It was also extremely dry. I split it in half and put one half in the ground and the other half in a pot for the TBS. In the pot, it put up lots of new shoots through the fall and the following spring almost continuously. Although I did not realize at the time I was digging what U N K meant, it obviously it was an unknown. I believe this plant is also a rubro because the new shoots have a red margin and are very similar, although smaller, to the other Ph rubromarginata.

Mike McG near Brenham TX

Eastlandia · Post by **Eastlandia** » Thu Dec 11, 2008 6:38 pm

It depends on the location, however if there was to be one "invasive" species in general I would agree with mantis. The USDA has listed P. Aurea on the invasive species list... In my opinion however it isn't much different from other phyllostachys. And in my area, it hardly spreads at all...

rfgpitt · Post by **rfgpitt** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:36 pm

I agree it depends on the location and plant start - nothing will take over a yard in 3 years (thank goodness). I recall the Pres. having an atrovaginata (I think) that was several years old, send out a rhizome somewhere in the ballpark of 15' in one year.

Are the plots in Wash St limited or do they let them run free and just take the dead culms and thin out the groves? If they are letting them grow free, then if somebody had the link or most recent data on these trials, that should help.

stevelau1911 · Post by **stevelau1911** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 6:04 pm

My growing season here is usually from April until October, and the summers here are pretty warm with decent rain and the soil is pretty loose here.

I'm hoping by 2010, I'll won't be able to see the house on the other side of my garden, but having rubromarginata, and atrovaginata, it looks like I have a pretty good chance of already growing some of the most invasive species.

Markj · Post by **Markj** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:51 pm

stevelau1911 wrote:Its more convenient to ask.

Good reply...

Just wondering if any of you stateside folks have ever had problems with bamboos from the genus Sasa/Sasaella or even Chimonobambusa some of these are regarded as pure evil here, and not without merit either.

Post by **needmore** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:02 pm

Markj wrote:
stevelau1911 wrote:Its more convenient to ask.

Good reply...

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Yeah but for those of us who have previously typed out the answers to the same questions when the questioner could easily do a search for those threads here it has the POTENTIAL to impact the number of replies

Sasa/ellas run well here Mark and I have had to slow down a couple of them.

stevelau1911 · Post by **stevelau1911** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:09 pm

I've toured all around the city, and the only bamboo I see people grow which is still rare here is Phyllostachys Aerosulcata other than my bamboo garden which has 11 species.

There is seriously no other species of bamboos that people grow probably because Aerosulcata is the most cold hardy and easy to grow. I see a lot of mexican bamboo(japanese knotweed) in peoples yard which doesn't look nearly as good as bamboo.

I am kind of a pioneer as far as growing different species in my area.

If I have the time, I will might set up a greenhouse in order to try some tropical clumpers, but I'm satisfied with what I have for now.

Post by **bambooweb** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:43 am

rfgpitt wrote:Are the plots in Wash St limited or do they let them run free and just take the dead culms and thin out the groves? If they are letting them grow free, then if somebody had the link or most recent data on these trials, that should help.

The WSU plots are 25ft squares separated by alleys that are 10 feet wide and are tilled a couple of times a year to stop the rhizomes. Normally they are not tilled before the grove cleanups each year and people can dig out the rhizomes and shoots in the alleys.

Bill