[brensmith]

Yes to this! Bamboo root structure (rhizomes) can be broken down into two basic types, leptomorph and pachymorph. Bamboo that belong to the leptomorph rhizome group can grow many feet over a growing season, and have buds along their length that will grow into new rhizomes or culms (shoots). These are the classic runaway bamboo that folks worry about. Bamboo that have pachymorph rhizomes will (each one) grow into a culm and are thus much slower to spread around your garden. More like a clumping bush. I grow bamboo as a hobby in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, and currently have about thirty bamboo plants of 10 different types growing in pots in my yard. I'm waiting to plant them in the ground at my next house for when I have root barriers to prevent the leptomorphs from spreading too quickly!