Homeowner horrified after common plant causes £100k worth of damage to building
dailystar.co.uk£100k worth of damage to an unlucky homeowner.As a result, those with green fingers have been warned to 'think twice' before putting Chinese moso bamboo up as if not looked after and managed correctly, it can wreak absolute havoc.The invasive plant is highly aggressive and is actually one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet, capable of shooting up almost a metre in a single day, the Manchester Evening News reports.When their bamboo plant got out of control, one desperate gardener was forced to dig up the entire ground floor of their property.They suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage after the plant spread from a neighbouring property onto their own, according to invasive plant specialists Environet UK.The bamboo formed part of a border hedge or screen which was planted directly into the ground.It then travelled across the boundary and under the concrete ground floor of the house before bursting through the floor.The plant then grew up through the cavity walls of the property, reports the Express.Worryingly, if the plant had been left untreated, it could have forced the wall apart.The ground floor of the property had to be dug up with hundreds of metres of bamboo rhizome excavated.The removal of the plant and the damage caused resulted in a home insurance claim exceeding £100,000.Nic Seal, founder and MD of Environet UK, said this particular situation is the “worst case of bamboo encroachment and damage to property he had ever seen in this country”.He continued: “Through no fault of their own, the homeowners have suffered significant financial cost, stress and inconvenience, being required to vacate their home for several months.“The truth is, most bamboos are invasive if planted directly into the ground.
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