Bamboo is a rapidly growing grass species that thrives in South Carolina. The state’s climate creates an exceptionally favorable environment for many bamboo varieties, leading to its widespread use in landscaping and privacy screening. However, this same vigorous growth often leads to significant management challenges for homeowners who are unprepared for its spread.
Climate and Common Species in South Carolina
The state’s humid subtropical climate, characterized by mild winters and high annual rainfall, makes it an ideal location for bamboo cultivation. This consistent moisture, combined with warm temperatures, allows many species to maintain their deep green foliage throughout the year. South Carolina primarily falls within USDA hardiness zones 7b through 9a, which accommodates many temperate and subtropical types.
Common varieties found in the state include both desirable clumping species and problematic running species. Clumping varieties, such as Bambusa multiplex (Hedge Bamboo) and Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’ (Slender Weavers Bamboo), are popular for their upright, manageable growth habit. Running varieties, primarily Phyllostachys species, are widespread and highly successful in this environment. Phyllostachys aurea (Golden Bamboo) is a prime example, listed by the South Carolina Exotic Plant Pest Council as a severe environmental threat due to its ability to escape cultivation across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.
Understanding the Invasive Nature of Running Bamboo
The primary challenge associated with bamboo is the aggressive, invasive nature of the running types, dictated by their unique underground structure. Running species are classified as monopodial, meaning they spread horizontally by producing long, robust underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes can travel great distances, sometimes over 100 feet, before sending up new shoots, making the plant’s spread unpredictable and difficult to trace.
This dense, interconnected network of rhizomes forms the bulk of the plant’s underground biomass, storing the energy necessary for explosive new growth seen each spring. This aggressive growth pattern contrasts sharply with clumping bamboo (sympodial), which has short, U-shaped rhizomes that grow only a few inches annually, resulting in a tight, predictable footprint. Running bamboo’s unchecked expansion can quickly encroach on neighboring properties, lift sidewalks, and damage structural foundations. Its invasive spread out-competes native plants for resources, threatening the biodiversity of natural areas.
Containment and Removal Strategies
Physical Containment
For homeowners managing running bamboo, physical containment is the most effective preventative measure. The industry standard involves installing a root barrier made of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), typically with a thickness of 60 to 80 mil. This smooth, durable material is installed vertically in a trench dug around the perimeter of the bamboo patch.
The barrier must be installed to a depth of at least 24 to 30 inches deep to intercept the shallow-growing rhizomes. It is also important that the barrier extends a few inches above the soil line. This prevents rhizomes from growing over the top and escaping the contained area. The rhizomes do not penetrate the barrier but are instead reflected upwards, requiring regular monitoring and pruning of any rhizomes that surface near the barrier’s edge.
Complete Removal
Complete removal of established running bamboo requires a multi-year, intensive effort targeting both the above-ground culms and the underground rhizome mass. The first step involves cutting down all the woody culms, or canes, to ground level to reduce the plant’s ability to photosynthesize.
For small infestations, the rhizome mass can be manually dug out. However, larger areas often necessitate the use of power equipment to remove the extensive root system. Any small fragment of a rhizome left behind has the potential to regenerate a new plant, requiring diligent follow-up and monitoring.
A systemic herbicide containing glyphosate can be used as a targeted chemical control. This is applied most effectively after the culms are cut and the plant is allowed to regrow new leaves. The new foliage absorbs the systemic herbicide and transports it directly to the rhizomes. This chemical treatment often requires repeated applications over several growing seasons to fully exhaust the plant’s energy stores. Homeowners should also check with their local South Carolina municipality, as some areas have ordinances that mandate specific containment or removal procedures.