Relief has come to Connecticut residents living behind the bamboo curtain.
Lawmakers last month responded to concerns about phyllostachys, or yellow grove bamboo, the aggressive species of bamboo pervading some lawns of Connecticut suburbs, by passing regulations on the distribution and growth of the plant.
Brought to the United States from Asia, the various species of bamboo are used as ornamental plants in many suburban gardens.
However, the planting of yellow grove bamboo, or running bamboo as it is commonly referred, has resulted in some neighbor disputes — specifically in Seymour, where resident Caryn Rickel filed a civil lawsuit claiming a neighbors’ bamboo plants invaded her yard.
A Superior Court judge dismissed part of the lawsuit, but it remains pending.
Nevertheless, Rickel, who was not available to comment for this article, was a driving force behind the new state law.
State Rep. Theresa Conroy, D‑Seymour, brought the bamboo issue to the House Chair of the Environment Committee Linda Gentile, D‑Ansonia, resulting in Public Act No.13 – 82.
“Many pieces of legislation are started from a constituents request. Caryn was instrumental in providing information and details about the issue and was a grassroots organizer in having others afflicted with the problem to pursue legislation. There were several legislators who had constituents contact them about the problem in their own districts,” Conroy said in an e‑mail.
According to the law, homeowners are responsible for any damage caused to neighboring properties as a result of their bamboo. Bamboo must either be planted 100 feet away from the nearest property or be properly contained and sellers of bamboo must inform customers about the risks of running bamboo and the proper ways to maintain the plant.
Failure to comply with the latter two conditions will result in a $100 fine.
The law was passed by the state legislature in late May and signed by Governor Dannel P. Malloy on June 5. However, it will not take effect until October 1, 2013.
Rickel has advocated for bamboo legislation by starting a Facebook page called the “Institute of Invasive Bamboo Research.”
People from all over the country post complaints and share information regarding bamboo. Members post photos showing bamboo growing unchecked in yards and along roads all over the state.
Connecticut had considered naming yellow grove bamboo to the invasive plant species list, but decided that the bamboo didn’t meet all of the criteria, particularly because its seeds cannot be spread and planted through the air.
If named to the list, all production, sales, growth and distribution of the plant would have been outlawed.
Although it was not named to the invasive species list, lawmakers still saw a need to address the situation. Left unattended, yellow grove bamboo can grow to heights of 30 feet, but the real danger is the spread of its roots, according to the American Bamboo Society.
The roots of the bamboo bury deep and continuously spread farther and farther out ≤resulting in new bamboo stalks sprouting up in the sidewalk cracks and neighbor’s yards.
Removal of the plant is also time-consuming and cumbersome.
However, the problems of yellow grove bamboo can be avoided if owners follow the appropriate measures and maintain their plant, according to the American Bamboo Society.
For instance, the society recommends digging a trench a foot deep and 18 inches wide filled with metal, concrete, or asbestos board to contain growth of the plant, as well as pruning the hedges at least once a year.
A full description of guidelines and maintenance procedures for yellow grove bamboo can be found on the American Bamboo Society website.
Multiple towns on Long Island have already instituted laws restricting bamboo.
Recently, the Town of Malverne passed a law banning all forms of bamboo with fines of $350 per week and jail time for citizens failing to comply with the ban, according to CBS New York.
Messages seeking comment were left Thursday, June 13 with Rickel, Gentile and Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller.
