Is Bamboo Invasive ?

#permaculture #bamboo #invasiveplants
In this Q&A, Geoff answers a student question about bamboo and whether it belongs in a permaculture system.

The bigger lesson is this: in permaculture design, we don’t just ask whether a natural element is “good” or “bad,” "invasive" or "native." We ask what does it need, what are the yields, how does it behave, where does it belong and what relationships does it create in the wider system.

Bamboo can be a problem in the wrong place, with the wrong species or without a management plan. But in the right climate and design, it can also provide food, mulch, timber, shelter, biomass, erosion control and more. That is the difference between reacting to a plant and designing with it.

Want to learn how to design with plants, animals, water, soil and other elements so they work together as a living system?