Invasive bamboo-like grass?

[Craiger]

I have found that a foreign broad leaf has been slowly spreading over areas of my lawn. Attached are photos which (hopefully) show this tough plant. Its roots create upward shoots, and a landscaper I showed this to said it resembles bamboo. He was not sure what it was, but said he did not think it was not native to my area of Pennsylvania. A previous owner of my property used the open space as a nursery, so I am thinking he had some pots of this growing that he dumped out on the property, and now after some 15 years they have spread from a central point to other areas via lawn cutting and growth.

When walking barefoot on the grass you feel the tough "spikes" once you walk on it. It also grows through cracks in a concrete shed floor I have, and left untouched will grow 2 to 3 feet in length. I wouldn't mind it on my lawn so much since it is green during the summer, but from October through March it turns brown and its invasive pattern becomes more visible each year.

I have the lawn fertilized moderately and have a full healthy lawn otherwise. Wondering if this plant can be identified and if I can selectively eliminate it without going "round-up".

 

[Chuck]

If it is bamboo even roundup won't work. It travels via underground runners. It is very difficult to remove by any methods. I certainly looks like it though. Good luck.

 

[Craiger]

If it is bamboo even roundup won't work. It travels via underground runners. It is very difficult to remove by any methods. I certainly looks like it though. Good luck.

Thanks Chuck, from the limited research I had - the closest match I can find for this is Sasa palmata. Native to Japan, but seems to grow quite well in Pennsylvania.

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

What an interesting bamboo. I wish I knew which one it was.
The relatively narrow leaves remind me particularly of Pseudosasa owatarii, from Yakushima, but that is not a firm identification.
There are several dwarf bamboo in the genera Pleioblastus, Sasa, and Sasella that should also be considered, though many of them usually have wider leaves.
All the genera mentioned are native to China, Korea, Sakhalin, and especially, Japan, which has a number of species of low-growing bamboo that are widespread in cultivation.