Leah Jones was delighted when she moved into her new terraced home in Plymouth, Devon. The Mediterranean-style garden has bamboo growing up one side so they decided to create a seating area and decorate it with twinkly fairy lights.
However, the family were unaware of the risks of bamboo until Leah’s father-in-law said he had read that the plant could be invasive.
Furthermore, before purchasing the property, Leah had a survey done but the bamboo was not mentioned.
They soon realised the bamboo plant had spread when they saw new shoots emerging from the plant four metres away on the opposite side of the garden.
A bamboo survey of the garden revealed that the plant’s rhizomes—underground root systems—had spread across the entire garden, with runners visible against the boundary wall adjoining Leah’s neighbour’s property.
Leah said the plant is going to cost her “thousands of pounds” to remove next month and will involve removing the artificial grass, lifting the patio and excavating all the root balls and runners from the ground.
She added: “We feel we have no choice but to tackle the problem, since there’s a high chance it will spread into neighbouring gardens if we leave it or cause damage to our own house. I also want to avoid having problems when we decide to sell the property in the future. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t buy a property with bamboo in the garden – I would insist that the seller have it removed first.”
Invasive bamboo infestations can cost homeowners thousands of pounds to remove after they’ve moved into a property. Invasive plant specialist Environet is warning homebuyers to check homes for evidence of the plant thoroughly and, if there is evidence, to insist sellers tackle the problem or renegotiate the sales price.
Unlike Japanese knotweed, which sellers must legally disclose the presence of on their property, it is not a legal requirement for sellers to declare if there is bamboo on their property.
If bamboo is discovered on a property post-sale, there is no obvious legal recourse against a seller which means homebuyers must rely on their own checks or those carried out by their surveyor to identify its presence or any evidence that it is spreading.
Environet Director, Emily Grant, said: “Nobody wants to inherit a stressful and expensive issue when they buy a property, but this is frequently happening with bamboo as there is no legal framework to protect buyers, as there is for Japanese knotweed.
“We’ve seen cases where clients have moved into their new home and they’ve barely unpacked before their new neighbour has knocked on the door asking what they’re going to do about the bamboo which is spreading onto their property.”
Around eight percent of homes in the UK are currently directly affected by the presence of bamboo which equates to around two million dwellings.
According to data from Environet, bamboo is being flagged up more frequently on property surveys as more people become aware of how invasive and damaging the plant can be. In fact, there has been a 50 percent annual increase in enquiries for bamboo removal relating to property transactions in the last six months compared to the same period last year.
However, many surveyors do not identify the problem, leaving homebuyers to discover the invasive plant at a later date and then pay for the removal costs.
One of the reasons bamboo is one of the most invasive plants in the UK is its rhizomes which can spread quickly and emerge in new locations. The plant can cause damage to lawns, paths, patios and homes if it’s not treated or removed.
Running bamboo varieties can travel up to 10 metres from the parent plant which means it can easily encroach onto neighbouring properties leading to potential legal disputes between neighbours.
“In our view, mature bamboo which is planted directly into the ground should be flagged on a property survey, recommending the buyer undertake further investigations to find out whether it’s spreading and what it would cost to remove,” Ms Grant added.
“In addition to potential damage to their own property and garden, buyers need to consider the risk of a legal case from a neighbour if the bamboo encroaches into their property.”
To remove bamboo, the root ball and every rhizome needs to be excavated from the ground. Any rhizomes that are left behind can regrow and emerge. This long, arduous process can be expensive, typically costing homebuyers around £3,500 +VAT to remove from a residential property.
Leah hopes that by sharing her story, she can raise awareness about the invasive plant and just how damaging it can be.
“I hope by raising awareness we can prevent this from happening to other homebuyers who may have no idea what they’re taking on,” Leah concluded.
