Runaway Bamboo

This is not your average lucky bamboo, which really isn't

 bamboo at all. Runaway bamboo, varieties of the genus Phyllostachys, is invasive, can grow 40 feet tall, and has roots that can grow through six inches of asphalt and extend outward 20 feet in a year’s time. That’s taking runaway to the extreme and some extreme measures are being taken to halt this menacing pest. Connecticut’s General Assembly has passed legislation regulating the plant and their new law goes into effect on Oct.1. The law makes people who plant running bamboo on their property liable for damages it causes to a neighbor’s property. The liability includes the cost of removing the bamboo which can run into thousands of dollars. This law interested me because a couple of months ago an 85 foot pine tree fell on my house and although it was growing on our property, and the wind sent it in our home’s direction, if it had fallen on any of our neighbor’s homes (and at 85 ft. it easily could have reached a couple of their homes or vehicles) their insurance would be held responsible for repairs rather than mine. This is definitely contrary to the bamboo law in Connecticut and the runaway bamboo grows much faster than a pine tree.