Attack of the bamboo

We planted golden rod bamboo 4 years ago on the dividing wall in the side yard where we ripped out the stupid pyracantha. It has been doing really well, growing by leaps and bounds. Now it is well over the wall, approaching 10' tall.


Left: bamboo now and on the right, then (in the far distance) - check out our green thumbs!

Bamboo sends out shoots (rhizomes) just below the ground. We put rhizome barriers in the ground around the planters to prevent the massive infiltration of bamboo. We have been free so far, but when I was investigating a few stray weeds, I discovered they were actually rogue bamboo shoots. I did some exploring, and found one or two shoots over 12 feet long stretching out below the yard fabric looking for exit. Luckily, we are in the process of replacing the mulch with stone so hopefully this will prevent an infestation.