Has anyone ever planted bamboo in or around their pond? I heard it can be invasive, but I would like to try some.
i dont know much about alot of things, but i do know a bit about bamboo heybud. there are hundreds of species but basically only two types of bamboo ....clumping and running. bamboo is a grass family plant and grows from rhizomes. if you get a running type, it can be extremely invasive unless you plant it in pots or an inground cage (i.e. dig a perimeter trench lined w/ sheet metal or something). clumping bamboos are not invasive. the various species you can get of both types range from dwarf varieties to giant timber bamboos and everything in between. colors vary alot too from various shades of greens to goldens to black.
i would think a nice clumping golden or black bambooo would be really nice in yer situation.
there's a start for you.
DIED hit it on the head... The running type will take over a place and you will wish you had never gotten it. Check with a local nursery and speak with someone you can trust there. Explain what you are looking for and hopefully they will give you some good cultivars in the clumping variety.
If Beaver Boy checks in, he'll give you a good edumacation. He's up on 'boo.
I did some research on bamboo when I built my pond. Wanted to use it as a security fence. I remember one type could grow 5' in one day!!
Ric, I think that might be your Georgia Giant'boo....
I hate bamboo. It attracts insects, birds and mice, which attracts snakes, which repels people. Like I said, I love bamboo.
If it gets away from you, a little 2-4-D while growing should do the trick. Bush hogging it low every week or 2 all summer will probably kill it.
Heybud I have two of the clumping types and they will slowly get away from you. D.I.E.D. hit it right, as did Bobad, you need to find a way to contain it. If in a pot it will root out of the drain hole if sitting on the ground.
I have had it grow in water up to 4' deep.
It is tough and tougher on you and your tools, it will remind you of working with barbed wire or pruning roses. If you plant in the ground give it and yourself lots of room, you will need to be able to work all of the way around it.
I would say it depends on how cold you typically get in winter, whether a tropical clumping bamboo would be right. I think there are species that can occasionally take lows of 20 or a little bit lower, but if go much lower than that often, Running bamboo would look better by a pond.
It is true that running bamboo can be invasive. Rhizomes are known to run 20 ft or so in a year under very ideal conditions, so they can get out of control in a hurry. But that also means they are quick to form a grove. If you mow around your pond, you shouldn't have a problem with them getting out of control. And with it being dry in your area, that will restrict their running ability also.
Personally, I think there are a lot of other alternatives to bamboo that are better for the wildlife and look better, but to each their own. Just know what you are getting into if you decide to plant bamboo. Once its there, its there!
There are several yards here in Goldthwaite that have great stands of bamboo and it appears to have been there for a long time. It hasn't gotten too out of control that I can tell. I may see if I can get some from one of them. Thanks for all the comments.
Heybud,
I think the key is maintenance, much like any other decorative plant, bamboo needs tending. The color and texture it provides to your yard may just make it worth the effort.
This could be good to plant in front of the equipment so the neighbors don't have to look at it.