A common bamboo myth is that once planted, it will take over the world.

Bamboo spreads via rhizomes and can easily be controlled by understanding growth patterns and proper methods of containment. Bamboo is a group of evergreen plants that fall under the grass family. Just like grass, bamboo will not grow where water is not present. In dry climate settings, such as here in California, it is easily controlled by only drip irrigating the planting area. Root barrier should be used for urban or residential settings for bamboo spreading control as neighbors can have landscaping on their side of the fence where water is present and can encourage the bamboo to follow in that direction if nearby.

There are two main classes of bamboos, Running and Clumping. The difference is in the length of the rhizomes.

The clumping bamboo has very short rhizomes that mostly appear as bulbous.

This type of bamboo grows only a few inches yearly away from the center of the plant with densely clustered culms. As a result it is very compact at its base and spreads openly at its top. Therefore, this is not a good option for hedges due to its slow spread and does not fill in like running bamboo. The roots will grow down into the ground. This class of clumping works well for ornamental specimen purposes. Most are tropical and do not survive freezing temperatures. They are not very suitable for walk through groves because the clumping feature produces very tight thickets.

Running bamboo produces beautiful groves that you can actually walk through because of their wider spread rhizomes.

The roots go down about 15 - 18 inches into the ground and spread across horizontally. The rhizomes will grow in the direction of where the water is present. When properly constrained, the running nature will spread the rhizomes within the allocated planting area and quickly fill in with density. This allows you to utilize the root barrier to your advantage and tailor where you would like the bamboo to grow. All of the really cold hardy bamboo are runners.

There is really no contest between runners and clumpers. Runners are far more beautiful in their form and usefulness in the garden setting. With a bit of planning and annual maintenance, you can enjoy these beauties just about anywhere. See the "Controling Bamboo" tab for more information.