I have 3 clumps in a very dry shady place under the beech tree. one flowered 2 yrs ago. now its reflowering and it has 8 green leaves on it. all 3 of mine are clump formers not runners. they are in poor soil because of the tree. they have all been pest & trouble free. hope this helps.

Growing bamboo in my area is somewhat different than growing it in your climate, Shinobi, but I might be able to help with basic info on the plants. First off, are you talking about true bamboos, "Lucky Bamboo" (actually a Dracaena), or Heavenly Bamboo (actually a member of the Barberry Family)?

Not sure what you want to know really, but most bamboos will need some kind of root barrier to prevent their spreading all over the garden. The barrier should be a minimum of 18 inches deep. There are bamboos that only get a couple of feet high, and others that grow to 20 feet, so choose your variety very carefully, Most "run", some are clump formers, but in Britain in recent years, even the clump formers have started to run (the only thing that stops them running is our climate, usually). Fargesia's probably the most reliable clump former, but I still would recommend containing the roots inside a barrier. Lovely plants otherwise.

thanks for your info.