Out of control bamboo plants could be the new knotweed

BAMBOO plants are increasingly causing friction between neighbours due to their speedy growth and lack of respect for boundaries, gardening experts have said.

The plants provide an attractive, fast-growing addition to flower beds and have the added benefit of screening gardens from neighbours.

However, bamboo spreads quickly via rhizomes – lateral sprouting root growth – which means shoots can often pop up in next door gardens. When not kept carefully under control, it can become a menace, and has been called “the new Japanese knotweed”.

But despite destroying gardens and damaging properties, demand is increasing and it is being advertised by garden centres and celebrities such as Alan Titchmarsh.

Last night the Royal Horticultural Society issued a warning about bamboo, saying the plant can swiftly grow “out of control”.

Jim Glaister, regional manager at The Knotweed Company, said he is increasingly being asked to remove bamboo from gardens after it has caused problems. He told The Sunday Telegraph: “Bamboo is becoming a huge issue in many domestic gardens, especially where it has been used as a screening hedge plant.

“All bamboos are invasive – despite what many garden centres say – and some species are extremely invasive.”

Mr Glaister added that neighbours have had nasty disputes after bamboo spread to a neighbouring garden.

He said he has had several clients who have taken legal action against their neighbour because of bamboo.

In one case, a couple found that the plant had been deliberately grown by the previous owner to annoy a neighbour they didn’t like.