Bamboo grows faster than nearly any other woody plant on earth, capable of shooting up several feet in just days under the right conditions, making it a go-to for fast privacy screening.
A woody grass rather than a tree, bamboo comes in running and clumping varieties — running types spread aggressively via underground rhizomes, while clumping types stay put, an important distinction to check before planting.
Choose a clumping variety unless you specifically want a spreading grove, since running bamboo can escape a garden bed and become invasive within a couple of seasons. A buried rhizome barrier is essential if planting a running type near property lines.
"Lucky bamboo," commonly sold as a houseplant, is not actually bamboo at all — it's a dracaena species trained into decorative twists and grown in water or soil.
