What's the Difference Between Clumping & Non-Clumping Bamboo?

The slender arching canes of bamboo (Bambusa spp., Phyllostachys spp., and others) add a graceful touch to the landscape and can serve many functions, as well. Depending on the species, they can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 12. The biggest drawback of bamboo is the invasive tendencies of certain varieties that grow rampantly, invading areas far from where they were originally planted. However, many species of bamboo -- known as clumping bamboo -- stay where they are planted for their entire lifetime.

Bamboo spreads by specially adapted roots that grow along the surface of the soil, called rhizomes. Clumping bamboo has extremely short rhizomes that result in a dense growth habit of single neat clumps that expand slowly outward from the original planting. Non-clumping, or running, bamboo has long rhizomes that can send up new shoots many feet from the original planting. After a number of years, running varieties develop into extensive groves of bamboo that are extremely difficult to eradicate. One of the most invasive species of running bamboo is Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea), which grows in USDA zones 7 to 12.

The character of clumping bamboo lends itself for use as a specimen planting, or perhaps as a tall screen when planted in a row. Running varieties can create the magical effect of a bamboo forest. In reality, the terms running and clumping represent two ends of the spectrum of rhizome length. Rhizomes of moderate length make a very dense groves of bamboo. Open groves that are easy to walk through are formed by varieties with very long rhizomes.

Clumping bamboos are fairly low maintenance. Dead canes need to be removed periodically and they appreciate regular irrigation and fertilizer, which is also the case for running types. However, running bamboos also need constant management once they have filled the area that they were intended for. Barriers made of heavy plastic, rubber or concrete can be used to contain them and they can also be planted in pots as a method of control.

Beside their invasive tendencies, one of the main differences between clumping and non-clumping types is their degree of cold hardiness. The majority of clumping varieties are tropical species, but there are a few that can be grown in mild temperate climates. Nearly all of these are in the Bambusa genus and can be grown in USDA zones 8b to 11.