WARNING - do not plant it. Here in the NYC metro area its a uncontrollable weed with roots and an unusual fast-growth ability to spread and is killing off the natural plants along the barrier beaches leaving local wildlife starving. My neighbor has it contained /planted in a little piece of land(cement enclosed) in his front yard and I am serious, it tried to escape by sending long runners on a wet day accross the cement patio. The runner grew 6 inches in one day!!! It looks like the same type, it is VERY cold hardy. It ws wise you sort advise.

In Lancaster PA their was a big law suit because one neighbor who planted it allowed it to spread under the fence taking over huge acerage of unused farmland. They had to pay BIG $$$ to have it removed.

Bamboo is beautiful but make sure you have a nice barrier to keep them in place! Ive seen quite a few very nice and mature groves of bamboo here of different species, but Im sure that the owners are constantly keeping them in check. I still want to try bamboo some day though because they really are perfect for the tropical feel and are very beneficial plants (create lots of oxygen, they are fast growing and easy to reproduce so the wood is very sustainable, and some are tropical looking and cold tolerant!

Not sure of the ID of the one in your pic.
-Alex

The most common is golden bamboo so that probably it. it looks cold damaged to me. I have to disagree with greg bamboo is a great plant when kept controlled i have a bamboo screen. It looks great even in winter.A concrete wall keeps it controlled on one side and on the other i cut the roots once a year. I dont really use my back yard so i may just let it takeover an have a bamboo forest.

Here is a picture from the fall its still as green as it was. next spring i predict it will double in size

every year it doubles in size

the year before the pick above

before that it was one stem

Looks like Arundinaria gigantea, a TN native. Like most runners it can be aggressive. Not as showy as the exotics IMHO.

thanks yall! now i have another question...I was planning on gettin some of the River Cane bamboo (in pics) and puttin at a neat border on the north side of my house..like put the bamboo at the side of the house and put maybe some flowers or something in front of them going towards the yard. Would this bamboo spread and grow under my house???? i wouldnt want it to tear up anything under there...

If you look at mine im trying to get a neat row. I cut all the roots that go into the lawn with a shovel.