A woman who planted bamboo in her garden for privacy ended up accidentally inflaming tensions with her neighbours after it started wrecking their driveway, MailOnline can reveal.
The nurse, who is in her early 60s, said she only wanted to create a ‘screen’ between her property and the neighbours’ in Portsmouth when she bought the bamboo 10 years ago, and had no idea she had bought an invasive species of the plant.
It was only when her neighbours’ block-built driveway started lifting, and large bamboo roots were found underneath, that she realised the extent of the problem.
She was one of several residents across the country to have been caught out by the much-loved plant, a staple of television garden makeover shows in the 2000s, but dubbed ‘Japanese knotweed 2.0’ by experts due to its potential to cause devastation.
The homeowner, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I planted bamboo as a screen so I didn’t have to see the neighbours’ campervan.
‘I remember the gardening shows used to say how it was good for growing high for shielding, and that the sound of the wind going through them was lovely, so that swayed my decision.
‘But it grew under their block drive, that’s when the neighbours said: Oi, what’s going on?
‘The blocks started lifting and we had to replace their drive after hiring a mini digger to dig out all of the runners – it cost about £1,500 at the time.
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Invasive bamboo roots grew several feet across a boundary and into a neighbouring driveway in Portsmouth, causing the plant owner to spend around £1,500 repairing it quickly
It poses a legal risk if bamboo encroaches on to neighbouring properties or comes up through the floorboards in a home, and can result in prosecution or thousands of pounds worth of fines
Bamboo’s aggressive growth has earned it a notorious reputation akin to Japanese knotweed, known for its ability to penetrate building structures and wreak havoc on properties – including in this living room
‘We knew it was our problem, and our neighbours were alright with it as long as we made good what happened as quickly as possible, which we did because we wanted to be conscientious.’
The issue was with the plant’s runners – roots which grow horizontally.
They can often be easily managed by inspecting them once or twice a year to check they have not exceeded 30cm in length, and can be cut back to ensure they do not cause problems.
But they can be costly to remove if the plant properly takes hold.
And the roots can penetrate blockwork, wooden beams and sleepers if allowed to mature.
The nurse said: ‘These runners popped up in neighbours’ drive about 6ft from where I’d planted the bamboo.
‘It was a big job to excavate them but thank goodness we caught in time before our house was invaded.
‘I think they should be banned, or only the dwarf variety available.’
It was a similar story for Robert Lenton, who said he was ambushed by aggressive bamboo after a neighbour planted some on council-owned land outside the home he shares with his 17-year-old son and rescue dog Custard in Brighton three years ago.
Mr Lenton, 55, said: ‘Shoots grew to an alarming height at alarming speed and within a short period they had proliferated to block the view from my home, while taking down an overhead telephone cable and endlessly dropping leaves that found their way inside my flat.
Robert Lenton, with his rescue dog Custard, outside their home in Brighton, where bamboo planted by a neighbour has taken root outside his home
Mr Lenton said he had to cut back the bamboo because it was blocking the view from his window
The bamboo outside Mr Lenton’s home grew so high that it began distrubing the overhead powerlines
Bamboo roots – known as runners – grow horizontally and can quickly invade neighbouring properties by going through brickwork and wood
‘During this spring, I became so frustrated by the growing problem that I cut down all the shoots.
‘At the same time I snapped off all the new shoots and filled the remaining stump with weedkiller.
‘While this appeared to slow the invasion, it didn’t halt it. So this week I started to dig with the aim of exposing and removing the underground root network. However, the extent of the job far exceeds my resources.’
Mr Lenton said his local council promised to investigate but has yet to take any action, describing the authority as taking a ‘casual attitude’ to the problem.
He said: ‘I am worried that the bamboo will invade an adjoining property and will eventually penetrate my patio, the pavement in front of my home, possibly the road and maybe even the interior of my home. To be honest, I have become somewhat troubled by this problem.’
A widow also described how she had to fork out £12,000 after established bamboo all around her new home caused widespread damage to her garden – and even started invading her nextdoor neighbours’ homes.
The 69-year-old, who asked not to be named, bought the home with her late husband in 2014, but noticed bamboo appearing through their decking six years later.
The retired office manager from North Lincolnshire said: ‘The front of the house was also affected as the previous owners had planted running bamboo along the border of the drive, also the bamboo was growing up to 8 feet along the side of the property.
‘We attempted to dig out the spiked growth throughout the lawn to no avail, it returned thicker and faster.’
The homeowner said she and her son paid £3,000 for a professional company to poison the bamboo but it ‘returned with a vengeance’.
‘By October 2023 both neighbours’ gardens were beginning to be infected with the bamboo.
‘Fortunately both neighbours were sympathetic and knew we were not responsible for planting the bamboo. Poisoning is still ongoing in their gardens.’
She said her garden is now ‘totally ruined, which for me was heartbreaking.’
It typically costs upwards of £3,500 to remove the bamboo from a residential property, although remedial work can run into tens of thousands of pounds
Experts said it could take several years for problems to occur and encouraged potential buyers to do some research before planting
Bamboo is an invasive plant that can ruin people’s homes if left unchecked – although there are simple steps to prevent it coming in from neighbouring gardens
‘I am almost 70 and the stress has been relentless.
‘My son then decided to take over and employed a gardener and two friends to dig out and eradicate the bamboo at a cost.
‘He hired a digger and three skips. After a week of immensely hard work and toil, a total of 24 tonnes of bamboo roots had been removed.
‘The garden has now been seeded as we cannot lay turf for a year in case some bamboo shoots appear which will need to be dug out individually. I find it unbelievable that the running bamboo is still available to buy, it should be banned nationwide.
‘The previous owners were warned by the gardener who planted the bamboo how invasive it was but his recommendations were ignored as they wanted a ‘green’ garden.
‘I would like people to be aware of the dangers of planting bamboo and the heartache it causes.
‘People who plant bamboo are thoughtless and irresponsible and should not be allowed to sell their homes whilst it is prevalent.’
Experts say only a limited number of bamboo species are invasive, but encouraged prospective buyers to do their research before selecting plants for their home.
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