Bamboo varieties

Running Varieties(monopodial)
Running bamboo is very invasive. It spends most of its energy growing rhizomes (type of root) to spread itself as far and wide as possible. In spring these rhizomes will produce multiple shoots that will develop into new culms that will grow up vertically very quickly.

Clumping Varieties (sympodial)
Clumping bamboo does have rhizomes, but they do not grow to any length. The rhizome grows from the existing culm and shoots upward forming a new shoot very close by the mother culm. Because of this shortcut, clumping bamboo plants will establish quicker than running varieties.