A homeowner shared their battle with bamboo on social media, warning others of the pitfalls of the popular but invasive plant.
On TikTok, Laura B (@laurabaldock0) shared a shocking video of her yard looking like it had been the site of trench warfare, with deep tunnels and mountains of dirt piled all around.
@laurabaldock0 Don't buy a house that has bamboo 😫#bambo #bamboo #bambooshoot #gardening #gardenproject #fyp #digging #viral ♬ Hard Work - U.S. Drill Sergeant Field Recordings
"Don't buy a house that has bamboo," she warned.
Bamboo, though popular as a landscaping plant, is an incredibly invasive species. It was brought to the U.S. in the 1880s as an ornamental plant, but it displaces native species and forms dense thickets, according to the USDA.
The plant can spread quickly, thanks to underground rhizomes that grow horizontally in the topsoil and generate new shoots, according to Bamboo Bioproducts.
It's also tough to remove. The best method is physical removal, but that takes time and considerable effort, as the TikToker showed. The University of Maryland notes that you can start by removing the above-ground sprouts, slowing some underground growth, but then there are also the rhizomes that spread easily.
Invasive species like bamboo displace native species and require much more effort to maintain. That's why it's important to opt for a native lawn or a wild one. They require less water and maintenance than a monoculture lawn or one heavy with invasive species, and have added benefits like attracting pollinators. Pollinators are key to so many plants' life cycles, especially crops.
People in the comments on TikTok were equally frustrated by bamboo and shared their thoughts.
"I really don't know why people plant it in the ground. It's so invasive," one person wrote.
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Definitely 👍 Another person warned, "Kinda wasting your time. One little bit and it's all back next year."
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One person offered that if you do want bamboo, you should "Keep it in a pot or anywhere, but the ground, they grow faster than you can trim them."
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