A first-time buyer is getting anxious after a potentially problematic plant was spotted growing in the garden of their new property.
Buying a house is among the most stressful life experiences a person can encounter. There’s mountains of admin to wade through, the pressure of serious financial obligations, fees for surveys, solicitors and more, plus the doubt and anxiety associated with finding the right property.
For one fbuyer, all seemed to be going well until they discovered a suspicious plant growing in the back garden. The self-proclaimed “nervy” buyer had visited the property twice and felt “very happy with it”.
They were awaiting the results of the survey but as the house was “pretty unremarkable”, they weren’t “expecting any major issues” – until a visit with their mother-in-law sparked some panic.
On Reddit, they explained: “On a recent visit with my MIL, she pointed out that the majority of greenery in the garden is bamboo. She didn’t seem overly concerned but said it would be best to remove in a year or so as it spreads like crazy and takes a lot of maintenance.”
They continued: “I made the mistake of Googling it and now I’m worried! I’ve read it can damage foundations, can spread unchecked almost on par with Japanese Knotweed. My MIL couldn’t identify the specific type of bamboo.
“It is about 3-4 metres from the rear of the house and it seems ‘contained’ to the borders. No evidence of it sprouting in random places like I’ve seen online?”
They attached photos and asked fellow Reddit users for advice on whether any further investigations may be needed, describing their potential new home as “the perfect house” other than these concerns.
Fellow Reddit users shared their thoughts in the comments section. One person advised: “There are clumping and non clumping varieties of bamboo. I would be a lot more concerned about the latter. I’d suggest you get some help to identify the species. There’s good facebook groups who can help with some clear photos.”
Another suggested: “They look like they’ve been in there quite some time due to size and spread. Hard to tell what they are from pics. Usually if they grow up then start to droop over like an umbrella they will be a Fargesia which are non invasive. I’d look into the neighbours garden and see if it’s spread there, if not I think you’re fine”.
A third added: “I agree with the previous poster! Many invasive plants are called ‘bamboo’ when they are not actually bamboo. Figure out what it is before you panic! Lots of good plant identifying apps can help too. And look at the neighboring yard (if possible without being a creep!) To see if it has spread over there… that can be a good indicator of whether it’s tenacious or not.”