Bamboo or something else? - Ask Extension
We are trying to determine if these are bamboo, or something else. These are in Takoma Park, MD, in an urban area of the city. The site is not near ...
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Bamboo or something else? #931817
Asked May 15, 2026, 12:41 PM EDT
We are trying to determine if these are bamboo, or something else. These are in Takoma Park, MD, in an urban area of the city. The site is not near any water body (i.e., not near Sligo Creek or any similar water bodies). I can submit additional photos if that would be helpful.
Thank you very much.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
This does appear to be a type of bamboo; several species of bamboo can grow in Maryland and have been planted in gardens. While it doesn't look like Phyllostachys, the most widely-planted genus of running bamboo, it might be in the Sasa, Pseudosasa, or Pleioblastus genus, all of which are also running types. Maryland's native bamboo, Arundinaria tecta, does grow in your county (although it's rare across the state overall), so it would be good to validate this plant's ID before any removal attempts. We found a bamboo ID key that might be useful: Native and Naturalized Bamboos in the USA from Iowa State University. It's fairly technical since fine details and structural traits are needed to separate similar-looking species, especially when the plants are not in flower.
Miri
Miri
Thank you very much for your review. Another plant specialist has stated that this also might be Rivercane (genus Arundinaria). Do you have any thoughts on this? If I needed to make an exact determination, how would I go about (e.g., can you send the plant to a laboratory for analysis)?
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Unfortunately I'm not practiced enough at grass/bamboo ID to be able to tell which species you've got, and the key I found, while admittedly technical, is probably a good resource to use. I am not aware of any lab testing that would reveal what species it is, but perhaps someone from the DNR (<personal data hidden>) could help or point you to a taxonomist that could help key it out. It would be great if it's the native species, since it's fairly rare in the state.
Miri
Unfortunately I'm not practiced enough at grass/bamboo ID to be able to tell which species you've got, and the key I found, while admittedly technical, is probably a good resource to use. I am not aware of any lab testing that would reveal what species it is, but perhaps someone from the DNR (<personal data hidden>) could help or point you to a taxonomist that could help key it out. It would be great if it's the native species, since it's fairly rare in the state.
Miri
