Well, that's a switch! :-) Usually, the complaints with bamboo involve how to contain their aggressive nature or how to remove them entirely rather than them just up and dying.

Without more information (type of bamboo, growing conditions, etc.), it's pretty difficult to speculate on what might be the problem. Most species of bamboo are quite long-lived and die off only after blooming, which generally occurs very infrequently. But hardiness of different species vary and poor or incorrect growing conditions or pest/disease issues can play a role also.

And the majority of bamboos are evergreen, so your comment on it "never even came up" this year adds to the confusion. We just need more information to determine what might have happened.

Is this a grass with an evergreen top and woody canes or an herbaceous plant with heart- or spade-shaped leaves that dies to the ground every year? The latter is called knotweed and is a hated weed here. Possibly somebody sprayed it with herbicide, without your authorization - although in that case there would normally be a phase where it is being obviously discolored and deformed after the application was made.

Some herbicides also have a strong lingering smell.

I have posted a picture of the plant in the Garden photo gallery
it had long slim leaves and grew to 8 or 9 feet tall
the stems were just normal like not what you would normally see not woody
but they did tell me it was a bamboo
the leaves shed in the winter
and in the Spring it was a new growth
sorry don't have the name as I bought it about 8 yrs years ago

can you post the link to the photo?
I can't find what forum it is on.

Here is Delta's picture:

Not bamboo! Interesting plant however, I am sure someone will know what it is.

Might be one of the narrow-leaved sunflowers, definitely not a bamboo. A closer view needed to be able to tell much about its structure.

Thanks ladies .but it is not a narrow leaved sunflower
as it has no flowers just leaves
As far as getting a better picture hmmmmm it is not possible as the plant never grew back this year and the previous picture was taken a few years back
Anyhow thanks

I do not see delta's question posted on the bamboo forum; she may get more results there.

It's not a bamboo!

not a bamboo! i think thats why that panda in the photo has those forlorn eyes.

The same site conditions that apparently killed it may have been preventing it from maturing and flowering.

Bamboo forum members may be especially familiar with "not a bamboo" plants.