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Invasive Species of the month - Bamboo
Bamboo has always brought to my mind warm images of munching pandas and kids making flutes. That said, there are no pandas here in Forest Lakes, and the last bamboo flute I’ve seen was the one I made in third grade, so there really shouldn’t be much bamboo here in Virginia. Yet you needn’t walk far around Forest Lakes to find clumps of bamboo, like in the attached picture from the junction of Forest Lakes North and South.
Interestingly, Bamboo is the most controversial invasive that I have found so far. Some websites tout its beauty and usefulness, pointing out that it spreads, but does not kill other plants. Others argue that this is an invasive species that needs to be controlled. Which is it? Nice Panda-flute plant or dangerous invader?
Both, it seems! There are over 1,200 species of bamboo globally, three of which are native to the US. Sadly, many, if not all, of the bamboo in Forest Lakes is invasive, likely starting as ornamentals in yards or as a natural way to make a privacy fence. Bamboo is separated into two growth types, “clumping” and “running.” Clumping bamboo is a slower spreader, but its root systems are large and compete with native plants for sustenance. They are less invasive, but still hard to eliminate. Running bamboo spreads by thick underground stems called rhizomes. These can spread over 100 feet from the mother plant and are resistant to adverse environmental conditions and many herbicides. Large species of “running” bamboo can spread about 3 to 5 feet in a year. With its height up to 25 feet and swift formation of dense groves, bamboo can shade out native plants and takes over the ecosystem. Without pandas to keep it in check (no local wildlife eats it), and the fact that some bamboo species create their own herbicides that eliminate other flora, our local biodiversity suffers.
Bamboo is one of the more difficult invasives to control, and it takes time and perseverance. Control methods include digging it up and mowing small shoots repeatedly. For larger plants and more extensive invasions, power equipment may be needed. The use of herbicides is sometimes necessary, but make sure you have been trained in their use.
What you can do:
1. When looking for a green privacy barrier, buy only native bamboo or choose other native species such as Eastern red cedar, big bluestem, and Horsetail.
2. If you have bamboo near your home, dig up what you can and repeatedly mow the shoots.
3. Join the Forest Lakes Invasives Group (FLIP) and participate in a workday (or ten!) Contact John Oliver at johndoliver@comcast.net
-Kathy Smyth, Member of the Forest Lakes Invasives Group
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