Big, Fat Green Bamboo

Just the sight of bamboo brings a feeling of peace and a sense of exotic lands. Dubbed the "friend of the people" by the Chinese and "gift of the gods" by Columbians, bamboo transforms a garden into a tropical getaway and makes an excellent privacy screen. Some culms shoot up to their full height (30 feet or more) in one growing season. Bamboo spreads two different ways: by running or clumping. As the name implies, running bamboo runs wild, while clumping is more likely to stay contained.