We presume you are referring to the shrub Nandina domestica and not true bamboo, is that correct? If so, the only options for Nandina removal are manually digging out the root balls or treating the fresh-cut stumps (or foliage, depending on application options the label gives you) with a systemic herbicide. Such products tend to use the active ingredients glyphosate or triclopyr. If you prefer to use herbicide but can't dig them out, repeatedly cutting the shrubs down to the ground and promptly removing any foliage regrowth will eventually starve them, but how long that takes is hard to predict. (It might be a year or more for well-established and vigorous plants.)

What to replace Nandina with greatly depends on the site conditions and what you want aesthetically. For example:

• How much direct summer sun is that area exposed to? (Full sun, for reference, is 6-8 or more hours of direct sun in summer.)
• Does the soil drain well, skew dry, or tend to stay wet for a while after rain?
• Does the new plant need to be unappealing to deer, or is deer browsing not a regular problem?
• About what mature size do you want the new plants to stay (without relying on pruning to keep them contained)?
• Do you prefer to have specific features, like evergreen leaves, showy berries or flowers, fragrance, specific wildlife value (birds, pollinators, etc.)?

We have some basic tips for avoiding invasive plant purchases in the linked page that may be helpful. The Maryland Native Plants Program also has plant guides that can help with species selection if you prefer to plant something native to our area. (The piedmont guide is available now; the other two, coastal plain and mountain regions, are coming soon. Your county is in the piedmont.)

Miri

Extension doesn't recommend specific product brands, but any formulation labeled for this use (treating trees/shrubs or "brush" in a home landscape setting, as opposed to only in forests, nurseries, agricultural settings, or other sites) should be fine, and the active ingredients glyphosate and triclopyr are two of the most commonly-used ingredients regardless of brand. The chemical needs to be systemic (absorbed by the plant) in order to kill the roots; otherwise, a contact-only type of ingredient will only kill the current set of leaves, which allows the plant to regrow and is not much different from just cutting the leaves off instead.

Many systemic herbicides are non-selective (or have limited selectivity), which means they can impact other plants if the application contacts them. Following product label instructions is the lowest-risk way (for people, pets, the environment, etc.) to use any pesticide, and it would violate Federal law to use a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Any notable risk to people, pets, wildlife, and so forth will be noted by the manufacturer within the label directions. Often, this includes not applying the product near open water (like a riverbank, a pond, etc.) and letting any application dry before letting anyone enter the area (or longer).

While most herbicides are applied as a spray, they can also be dabbed or "painted" onto the leaves or stumps of the target plant in order to limit the amount of chemical needed and reduce the likelihood of accidentally exposing nearby desirable plants. There are disposable sponge-type applicators that can be used for this, or you can use another convenient material that's disposable and applied while wearing chemical-resistant gloves. If you do decide to use a product as a "cut-stump" treatment, applying it to the stubs of cut-down stems, the application needs to be made promptly, often within just a few minutes of making the cuts, in order to work well. Once again, refer to label directions for specifics, as each product formulation has its own label details unique to that product.

Miri

You're welcome!