I have a very pretty miniature variety growing in a large tub surrounded by annuals. My neighbours have three very tall, delicate bamboos right at the end of their garden and they are very beautiful and give a whispering sound in the breeze. The big, chunky thick ones seem to be the most liable to be invasive - I gues the ones grown many years ago before more friendly varieties were discovered.
I've had bamboo in the garden for over 20 years and had no major problems. One clump forming variety who's name escapes and one area of Phyllostachys aurea and Phyllostachys nigra. Neither group has been invasive. I've had a couple of runners try to escape from the Phyllostachys but it has been the work of a few minutes to cut off the runner and pull it out. The line the runner has taken is pretty obvious so all it needs is to cut a channel with a spade along the line and haul it back out. There are many plants which can become a problem if they're allowed to but that doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't be grown.
I accept that would be more problematic if it was under paving but they are categorically not thugs in my long experience of them.
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Phillippa is right - it all depends on variety.
I have a very pretty miniature variety growing in a large tub surrounded by annuals. My neighbours have three very tall, delicate bamboos right at the end of their garden and they are very beautiful and give a whispering sound in the breeze. The big, chunky thick ones seem to be the most liable to be invasive - I gues the ones grown many years ago before more friendly varieties were discovered.
I've had bamboo in the garden for over 20 years and had no major problems. One clump forming variety who's name escapes and one area of Phyllostachys aurea and Phyllostachys nigra. Neither group has been invasive. I've had a couple of runners try to escape from the Phyllostachys but it has been the work of a few minutes to cut off the runner and pull it out. The line the runner has taken is pretty obvious so all it needs is to cut a channel with a spade along the line and haul it back out. There are many plants which can become a problem if they're allowed to but that doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't be grown.
I accept that would be more problematic if it was under paving but they are categorically not thugs in my long experience of them.