Bamboo isnt native to florida so why have i seen some??

Question

yes i found them in the wild

Answer 1

People in the US have begun planting it and it grows like wildfire.

Answer 2

Bamboo spreads really easily. If you want to plant it right, you have to bury barriers around it to keep it from spreading. When you don’t, it will take over.

Answer 3

In recent years, bamboo has become more and more popular in the design industry.  It's attractive and highly renewable since it grows so fast.  You'll probably see bamboo in gardens all over the U.S.  You'll probably run across quite a few commercial bamboo growers as well.

Answer 4

i live in palm beach and i know you can buy it like ANY where now, from home depot to walgreens to gas stations so i would guess people have started planting it.

Answer 5

Could it be escaped?  Many plants brought in from elsewhere will escape into the wild displacing natives species.  Happens in animals........you have an awful snake problem now with various constrictors; boas and pythons, which have escaped or been purposely released by unknowing or uncaring people.

Answer 6

Actually there are 2 known native US bamboos, the more popular one going by the name of "Switchcane".  I'm sure some of this at one time may have grown naturally here.  All other bamboos that you see have been imported through the years and undergo a strict importation quarantine before any new introductions are allowed in.

As for the ones you see growing around Florida, most are the NON-INVASIVE clumping type, as most running varieties do not survive or do well in our heat and humidity.  Bamboo has hundreds of uses and is more beneficial to the environment than any other plant.  Believe it or not an acre of bamboo removes 4 times more CO2 from the atmosphere than an acre of trees.  Talk about helping to save the planet!  They are also now using bamboo for making clothes, flooring and much much more.

Anyways, clumping bamboos come in many shapes, sizes and colors.  They can be used as focal points in gardens or as hedge rows to screen out a nasty neighbor.  Some grow only a few feet tall while others reach heights of 60 feet!

So go ahead, plant bamboo!

I grow and propagate numerous bamboos in Florida.  You can view my bamboo pics on my site at http://www.gator-ventures.com/bamboo

Answer 7

yea i live in nc and when i used to go in the woods i would see plants that look like bamboo but i was told that it's in the same family but it isn't a true bamboo plant i really have no clue but it might be real bamboo

Answer 8

it grows wild here in Texas also.

Answer 9

Because our ancestors thought it would be neat to bring there favorite plants, weeds, etc  to wherever they migrated!  Now we have to deal with:

Eucalyptus (from Austrailia)

Scotch Broom (Scotland)

French Broom (France)

English Ivy  (England)

English Daisies (England)

Kikuyugrass (Africa)- but it floated over

etc, etc, etc.

Not to mention that plants can travel hundreds and even thousands of miles through windblown seed, human travel (seeds stuck to the sole of your shoes or car tires, etc.)

You'll find these "invasive" species almost everywhere you go.  They tend to be BAD outside they're intended environment because they "choke-out" the native species.  The invasive's also tend to thrive because they have somewhat "out-ran" the pests and disease that are commonly found-keeping a species and environment in BALANCE.

Answer 10

Bamboo is often planted as an ornamental because it grows rapidly (its a grass) and provides shade and screening from neighbors due to its height!  There are clumping bamboos and spreading bamboo.  People plant spreading bamboo not realizing how far and how rapidly it can spread into unwanted areas!  It becomes a pest as a result.

When I lived in Georgia, large areas along a creek were covered in bamboo that had escaped from a person's garden!  To eradicate it can be difficult due it being resistant to herbicides.  Often, a tractor has to be used to dig out the underground stems called rhizomes.  Any piece of the rhizome left behind can start the invasion again.

Sometimes good intentions can do a lot of damage!