Yellow groove bamboo is a running type of bamboo with very invasive tendencies. It has a yellow strip up its 2" culms. This plant is an invasive species and should not be planted. It is possible for some bamboo to grow upwards of three feet in a single day. It is capable of spreading quickly forming dense stands that prevent native plants from growing. There are bamboos that do not have running rhizomes and are called clumping bamboo. These are much safer to plant. See varieties to the left. There are even a few native bamboos that grow in the east. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Aggressive invasive tendencies. Listed as invasive in several mid and eastern states including AL, TN, WV, MO, MI and several northeastern states
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Leaf size
> 6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Olive green 7" long lanceolate leaves are hairy at the base.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Green
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Caryopsis
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Seed is in the form of a grain and blooms once every 20 years or more
Stem detail
Culms have zig zags in the lower portion. Upper culms are upright.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Northeastern China
Distribution
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia