Landscaper Faces Nightmare as Stubborn Client Makes Irreversible Real Estate Mistake: ‘I Can’t Convince Him’

Ask any landscaper what they think about bamboo, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: run.

However, this does not prevent owners, unaware of its invasive nature, from wanting to plant it in their garden. And in one such case, a landscaper found himself without good options.

They posted about their dilemma on Reddit, explaining: “I’m a landscaper who offered to do some work for my neighbor. It turns out they want to plant a bamboo hedge along their fence. …I CAN’T convince him not to plant it. I tried. Besides,” they added, “if I don’t do it, I’m sure he’ll find a guy who will and will do it badly.”

And while some areas have specific laws banning invasive species, OP clarified, “No laws at all where we are – I wish there were.”

One speaker sympathized with this difficult situation. “Bamboo planting should not be allowed if you have neighbors nearby,” they said. “My neighbor has a bunch in his yard and I have rhizomes in my yard 20-30 feet away. I’ve spent the last 2 summers cutting back the shoots.”

Bamboo is legendary for its ability to grow anywhere and everywhere, without stopping at any barrier, be it wood, plastic, metal or even cement.

“You won’t stop their roots,” one commenter wrote. “I planted some as a privacy screen. The planter was concrete on all sides and with a concrete base. It was literally a concrete planter bed. They broke through.”

Not only can bamboo destroy everything from buildings to sidewalks, but as it takes over an ecosystem, the native flora and fauna suffer greatly. After all, the more sunlight, water, and soil that goes into feeding the bamboo, the less is left to help cultivate the species that help the ecosystem thrive.

“Invasive bamboo is no joke,” another person commented. “I planted black bamboo in a rental I was staying at, and five years later it had popped up forty feet from my yard in a planter across a parking lot behind my fence.”

Luckily, OP shared that they were finally able to convince their neighbor to accept potted bamboo, which can be more easily cared for and managed than ground-planted bamboo, especially under their expert supervision. Although, as many people have pointed out, landscaping with native plants is even better than using bamboo, whether potted or not.

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