When choosing a bamboo variety, make sure you've chosen a variety suited to Kansas' landscape.

Bamboo adds an exotic look to the landscape that is unrivaled, but most species are poor choices for the Kansas landscape.

There are two basic types, clumping and running, into which more than one thousand species are grouped. For stubborn gardeners who really must grow bamboo, stick to clumping types and use some sort of containment system or plan to continually monitor the plant.

The neighbors of bamboo owners who now have bamboo also and the inheritors of out-of-control bamboo patches may argue against all bamboos, and with good reason. Running bamboo types send out long roots that can travel through and under walls and sidewalks and will bust its way out of just about any type of container. Running bamboos Getting rid of it once established is almost impossible and requires removing the plants’ roots. This is best achieved with a backhoe and several years commitment to monitoring for regrowth on root pieces that were missed.

Back to clumping bamboos: They can be planted with care. The best case scenario would be to grow clumping bamboo in a very large container above ground. Shave new shoots out each year to keep the bamboo from busting out of its pot. For clumping bamboo planted in the ground, plan to monitor and remove new shoots each spring to contain the size. Plants can also be contained by placing a physical barrier in the soil, such as metal, concrete, or plastic. Physical barriers should go down at least 30 inches and be checked periodically for signs of compromise.

When selecting a clumping bamboo, pay special attention to cold hardiness and mature size.

Many cold-hardy clumping bamboos will reach 10 to 15 feet in height at maturity, so they still need quite a bit of room to grow.

Cute little bamboos in cute little pots will not stay that way for long.

The other option to planting a clumping cold-hardy bamboo is to use native bamboo. There are three bamboo species native to North America. They are switch cane, river cane, and hill cane (Arundinaria tecta, A. gigantea, and A. appalachiana respectively). Switch cane and river cane grow throughout most of the eastern U.S., while hill cane is limited to the Appalachian Mountains in the Southeast. They lack the exotic look of many of the imported bamboos, but they also lack the invasive potential and serve as a food source for some butterfly larvae.

Gardeners seeking to remove bamboo where digging is impossible can try mowing repeatedly. Removing top growth will eventually starve the roots. This method may take three years or more of regular attention. Herbicides are reported to take just as long as mowing, and are most effective when plants are mowed and the herbicide is applied to new growth that appears soon after mowing.

Lucky bamboo, the houseplant often sold as a single stem rooted in gravel, is still lucky because it is not a bamboo at all. The scientific name is Dracaena sanderiana – it is cousins with a number of other popular houseplants.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show.” Send your gardening questions and feedback to features@ljworld.com.