Clumping Bamboo Guide

Explore non-invasive bamboo types.

Clumping vs. Running Bamboos

Clumping Bamboos

Clumping bamboos are generally tropical and are non-invasive. They grow in a habit similar to bananas. The shoots emerge in a tight or open pattern, depending on the species. Regardless of the degree of openness of each species’ clumping habit, none of the clumpers are considered invasive. They are well-behaved and will not spread wildly.

Tropical clumping bamboo comes in many sizes and overall forms. There are different culm colors (some striated) and leaf sizes (some variegated). With so many options, there are ideal varieties for nearly every application. Choosing the right varieties for screening and hedging can solve privacy issues better than many other plant materials. Some ornamental bamboo varieties make a stunning landscape statement. Most varieties also work well in a mixed tropical garden.

The tropical clumpers are not as frost-tolerant as temperate runners, so they are normally grown in warmer climates. Many tropical clumpers are also more difficult to propagate than runners.

Running Bamboos

Running bamboos send out underground stems (rhizomes) from which new canes grow. Running bamboos are more common and have a reputation in the U.S. for being difficult to control. Many U.S. gardeners are familiar with running bamboo species that send rhizomes several feet away from the original plant. These are the main reasons for bamboo’s bad reputation among gardeners in the U.S.

Still, with rhizome barriers or proper management techniques, running bamboos can be used effectively and beautifully in home gardens.

South Florida Black Bamboo Tip

If you live in South Florida, make sure that the “Black Bamboo” you buy is not Phyllostachys nigra. Mail-order nurseries may sell it to you, and it may be inexpensive, but it will likely burn up in the summer heat.