Bamboo Clumping Species
Clumping species is the most common controllable species. You have tight clumping and open clumping species. Some grow really tight which is good for a hedge or screening. Open clumping is good as a feature plant or for landscaping, soil stability and a show garden where space is not limited.
Tight clumps can be planted as little as 1.5 Metres apart to form a solid tightly clumping hedge that can produce culms that form an arch with their pendulous culms. Eventually these clumps will grow together to form an impenetrable wall. Many species will grow in suburban areas in any well drained type of soil. Very few will grow in extremely salty soil or along seashores where airborne salt can kill.
Many are frost resistant and can handle temperature variations without too much stress; however the equatorial species in Gigantochloa and Dendrocalamus do need cover from heavy frosts.
The root system grows near the surface at a depth of around 300mm. If a clump is not maintained, the root mass will grow upwards in residual mulch. Root systems do not usually invade underground pipe work or up lift concert slabs.
