SALISBURY, Md. - A growing problem could soon come with a hefty price tag in Salisbury, as city leaders consider new restrictions on invasive bamboo.
Salisbury City Council is scheduled to discuss an ordinance Monday night that would prohibit the planting and selling of certain types of invasive bamboo and require property owners to prevent the plant from spreading onto neighboring properties.
The proposal comes as city officials say complaints about bamboo have increased over the past year.
"But the past year we've seen a lot more complaints and a lot more issues where the issue is how it spreads," said Muir Boda, Salisbury's director of housing and community development. "And it's very it can be spread very rapidly and can get out of control."
Boda says the city currently lacks clear regulations specifically addressing invasive bamboo, making it difficult for code enforcement officers to handle complaints.
The proposed ordinance would apply to bamboo species within the genus Phyllostachys. Property owners with existing bamboo would be allowed to keep it, provided they take appropriate measures to contain its growth.
Those who fail to comply could face fines of up to $500 per day, although Boda emphasized that penalties would be a last resort.
Under the proposal, property owners would receive written notice of a violation and have 30 days to take corrective action.
"We're not going to come in and fine somebody on the first day," Boda said. "It's going to go through multiple phases of conversations before it gets to there."
For one Wicomico County homeowner, the challenges of controlling bamboo are all too familiar.
Kacie Craven has lived at her Mardela Springs home since 2019, where she says invasive bamboo has overtaken portions of her backyard and caused extensive damage.
"We can't use a whole back piece of our yard. Our kids can't come back here," Craven said.
She says the bamboo has grown through her shed and chicken coop, damaged fencing and made parts of her property unusable.
Despite years of cutting, applying herbicides and hiring professionals, Craven says the bamboo continues to return.
"When we built the chicken coop back here, my husband came back and he chopped down everything that was back here," Craven said. "Within two weeks, it was probably two feet tall again."
Craven says the cost of professional removal has made controlling the plant even more difficult.
While Salisbury's proposed ordinance would not apply to her property outside city limits, Craven hopes similar restrictions could eventually extend throughout Wicomico County.
"It would be great, especially if they could spread it to just Wicomico County in general so they can help people that aren't strictly in Salisbury," Craven said.
Boda says the goal is to establish clear expectations for property owners and prevent bamboo from becoming a larger problem in the future.
Maryland lawmakers passed legislation in 2023 allowing local governments to regulate invasive bamboo.
Salisbury City Council is scheduled to discuss the proposed ordinance during its 7 p.m. work session Monday. The measure has not yet been approved.
