Babylon Considers Banning Invasive Bamboo

John Mitty Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Bamboo is a popular plant among local homeowners on Long Island.  It makes a good screen for privacy and is aesthetically pleasing.  Unfortunately, it is also an invasive species.  The Babylon Town Board is bringing up a bill for review next month to ban the planting of invasive bamboo.  There are already a number of other towns on the island that have banned the plant, including Smithtown ,Long Beach, Brookhaven, Huntington and Malverne.  Bamboo plants not only can intrude on other properties and obstruct other plant life, but they also have sharp stalks and can be hazardous for children or animals.

The bill proposes that any property owner in violation will be subject to a $500 a day fine.  Property owners can still have bamboo on their own properties, but if the bamboo spreads to an adjacent property, the fee will come into effect.  Bamboo must be kept 10 feet away from any other property line and must be contained inside planters or barriers so that the root systems do not extend underground.  If the bill is passed, there will be a month long grace period before it goes into effect so that property owners have a chance to contain their bamboo plants. 

jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com

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