How Much do Bamboo Plants Cost?

Updated on October 3, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 13 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Bamboo plants typically cost about $40 to $200 each for common nursery sizes, while large specimen bamboo can cost $250 to $600 or more. Small 1- to 3-gallon plants commonly start around $40 to $100, 5- to 15-gallon plants often cost $120 to $220, and mature 20- to 45-gallon specimens can run $270 to $600+. Rare cultivars and very large landscape specimens may reach $1,000.

The final price depends primarily on the species, nursery container size, maturity, whether the bamboo is clumping or running, shipping, and how much instant privacy you want. A small bamboo can eventually produce a substantial screen, but a homeowner who wants an established 15- to 25-foot specimen immediately pays several times more.

Article Highlights

• Small bamboo plants typically cost $40–$100 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 1.3 to 3.3 hours of work, before taxes).
• 5-gallon specimens commonly cost $120–$170.
• 10- to 15-gallon bamboo often costs $160–$250.
• Large 20- to 45-gallon specimens cost around $270–$600+.
• Rare mature bamboo can reach $1,000.
• Clumping bamboo usually costs about the same as comparable running bamboo, although individual cultivars differ.
• A 100-foot roll of rhizome barrier currently costs about $350–$450.
• Professional bamboo removal averages about $450–$1,300, making the wrong running variety potentially expensive later.

How Much Do Bamboo Plants Cost?

Bamboo Garden’s current nursery price list provides one of the clearest current snapshots because it publishes prices by container size across dozens of species.

Nursery Size	Typical Height	Typical Price
1-gallon	1–3 feet	$40–$90+ (about 1.3 to 3 hours of work at $30 per hour)
2-gallon	2–4 feet	$60–$120
5-gallon	4–7 feet	$100–$195
10-gallon	6–12 feet	$125–$250
15-gallon	10–15 feet	$150–$300
20–25 gallon	15–25 feet	$200–$400+
45-gallon	Up to about 35 feet	$500–$600+

Those ranges overlap because a rare cultivar in a smaller container can cost more than a common species in a larger one.

Bamboo Garden specifically notes that container size is a better indicator of price and maturity than current plant height. Bamboo height can vary significantly even among plants grown in identical pots.

Current Nursery Examples

A few live nursery listings show how much real-world prices vary.

Lewis Bamboo currently lists 3-gallon Golden Bamboo, about 4 feet or taller, at $84 (about 2.8 hours of work at $30 per hour). That species can eventually reach roughly 27 feet at maturity.

Its 3-gallon Moso bamboo, shipped at about 4 to 6 feet tall, currently costs $100. Mature Moso can reach approximately 75 feet with canes several inches in diameter.

A 3-gallon Bissetii bamboo currently costs about $100, while the 3-gallon Robert Young timber bamboo is around $99.

These examples show why pricing bamboo by its eventual height is misleading. A $100 young plant may eventually become a 30- to 75-foot grove without starting life as a $500 specimen.

Clumping Bamboo

Clumping bamboo grows outward through short, compact rhizomes rather than sending aggressive runners across the yard.

Current prices for popular clumpers are similar to other nursery bamboo.

Lewis Bamboo currently lists Golden Goddess bamboo in a bushy 3-gallon container for around $95. It matures at approximately 10 feet and is often used where space is limited.

Its current Alphonse Karr in a 2-gallon container is around $80 and can eventually reach approximately 25 feet.

Bamboo Garden currently prices Alphonse Karr at:

1-gallon	$60
2-gallon	$80
5-gallon	$143
10-gallon	$185
15-gallon	$250
25-gallon	$350
45-gallon	$550

That is a useful illustration of how maturity changes the price of the same cultivar by almost 10 times.

Running Bamboo

Running bamboo can be just as affordable to buy, but potentially far more expensive to own.

Bamboo Garden currently lists Golden Bamboo (*Phyllostachys aurea*) at about $50 for a 1-gallon plant, $128 for a 5-gallon plant, $200 for a 15-gallon specimen, and $500 for a 45-gallon plant.

The purchase cost may look attractive, but the University of Maryland Extension’s current bamboo containment guidance warns that several running species can spread aggressively, invade neighboring properties, and be difficult to eradicate.

This is one situation where the least expensive plant can ultimately become the most expensive choice.

Privacy Screen Cost

Bamboo is commonly purchased in multiples rather than as one ornamental plant because homeowners want a hedge or privacy screen.

Suppose a 30-foot property line requires six 5-gallon bamboo plants spaced 5 feet apart.

At $128 each:

6 × $128 = $768 for plants

If you instead choose six larger $200 specimens:

6 × $200 = $1,200

That extra $432 buys a more immediate screen rather than a different eventual mature height.

Angi’s current 2026 bamboo landscaping guide estimates a basic bamboo hedge project around $250 to $500, but substantial screens using large nursery specimens can cost considerably more based on plant count.

Planting Cost

Hiring a landscaper adds labor to the plant purchase.

Current HomeGuide data puts general professional landscaping labor around $50 to $100 per hour per landscaper, with ordinary shrub planting around $25 to $85 each and larger 10- to 20-foot plants or trees potentially costing several hundred dollars to install.

Its 2026 landscaping installation guide puts professional hedge planting at approximately $50 to $225 per 5-foot section.

Bamboo installation can cost more if contractors must dig a containment trench at the same time.

Worked Example

Consider a homeowner installing an approximately 30-foot running-bamboo privacy screen using six 5-gallon plants.

6 bamboo plants at $128	$768
70 feet of 60-mil barrier at $4/ft	$280
Barrier shipping	$20+
Professional planting and trenching allowance	$500–$1,000
Estimated installed total	$1,568–$2,068+

The plants themselves represent only about 37% to 49% of that example project.

A comparable clumping-bamboo screen may eliminate the dedicated rhizome-barrier cost, though it still needs adequate spacing and room for the clumps to mature.

Rhizome Barrier

Containment is one of the most important hidden costs of running bamboo.

Bamboo Garden currently sells its 30-inch 60-mil HDPE rhizome barrier for $4 per linear foot when custom cut, or $350 for a 100-foot roll.

The heavier 80-mil version costs $4.85 per foot or $450 for a 100-foot roll.

The University of Maryland recommends a 30- to 36-inch-wide barrier made from at least 60-mil polypropylene or HDPE, with roughly 6 to 8 inches left above ground.

That is significantly different from burying an 18-inch-deep strip and forgetting about it. Running bamboo rhizomes need ongoing inspection even when a proper barrier is installed.

Hidden Cost

The biggest hidden cost is removing bamboo that was planted without enough containment.

Angi’s current 2026 bamboo removal data puts professional removal around $450 to $1,300 for a typical project, with an average close to $875.

Contractors may charge around $100 to $200 per plant, while disposal and stump or rhizome grinding can add another $150 to $500.

A spreading grove that reaches beneath fencing, pavement, or neighboring landscaping can cost more.

In other words, a $50 running bamboo plant can eventually generate a four-figure removal bill.

Lucky Bamboo

The small green stalk commonly sold for desks and indoor gifts as “lucky bamboo” is not true bamboo.

The University of Maryland identifies lucky bamboo as Dracaena sanderiana. It is a tropical houseplant with bamboo-like segmented stems, but it does not belong to the true bamboo group.

That distinction matters when comparing prices. A $10 to $30 lucky-bamboo arrangement should not be compared with a $100 outdoor 3-gallon bamboo plant intended to become a 25-foot privacy screen.

For other indoor and ornamental plant costs, see our guides to aloe vera plants, dogwood trees, and lemon trees.

Container Size

Bamboo is better priced by nursery-pot size than by the number of stalks.

Bamboo Garden says its approximate stock dimensions are:

• 1-gallon: 1–3 feet tall, usually 1–3 canes
• 2-gallon: 2–4 feet tall, usually 2–4 canes
• 5-gallon: 4–7 feet tall, usually 2–5 canes
• 10-gallon: 6–12 feet tall, usually 3–8 canes
• 15- to 45-gallon: roughly 10–40 feet depending on species

There is no universal rule that every gallon of container size should contain three culms. Cane count changes with species, plant age, nursery practices, and growth habit.

Climate

Bamboo species differ dramatically in cold tolerance.

For example, Lewis Bamboo rates Golden Goddess down to about 18°F, while its Bissetii is rated to approximately -10°F.

Moso, one of the giant timber bamboos, is listed to around 5°F.

This is why choosing by appearance alone can be expensive. A $300 specimen that repeatedly suffers winter dieback may provide less value than a $100 species suited to the local climate.

Cold-hardy bamboo can experience leaf or cane damage during severe weather, but wrapping every outdoor bamboo in “antifreeze foil” is not a universal care requirement.

Sun and Growth

There is also no universal rule that clumping bamboo needs more sunlight than running bamboo.

Individual species vary from shade-tolerant to full-sun plants.

Bamboo Garden rates each cultivar separately on a five-point light scale for precisely that reason.

Some temperate clumpers prefer cooler sites with afternoon shade, while many large running *Phyllostachys* species grow vigorously in substantial sun.

Can You Eat Bamboo?

Some bamboo species produce edible young shoots, but not every ornamental bamboo should be treated as food.

The University of Georgia’s bamboo growing guide notes that newly emerged shoots of edible species are used as food and that some varieties require boiling or soaking.

This preparation step matters. Food Standards Australia New Zealand reports that bamboo shoots can contain cyanogenic glycosides that can release hydrogen cyanide if eaten raw or inadequately processed. Proper boiling substantially reduces the compounds.

Fresh bamboo shoots intended for food should therefore be identified correctly and prepared according to food-safety guidance rather than sampled directly from an ornamental plant.

Ways to Spend Less

Buy smaller plants. The same Alphonse Karr cultivar can cost about $60 in a small container or $550 as a large specimen. Patience can save hundreds of dollars per plant.

Choose clumping bamboo where appropriate. It can eliminate the material and excavation cost of a running-bamboo barrier.

Buy several plants together. Specialist nurseries may offer quantity or wholesale pricing, and freight can become more efficient with a larger order.

Buy locally when possible. Large bamboo containers are expensive and awkward to ship.

Do not save money by skipping containment. A few hundred dollars spent on a proper barrier can be far cheaper than removing an escaped running grove later.

What We Verified

We checked current specialist-nursery prices across both clumping and running bamboo. Typical small specimens currently run around $40 to $100, mid-sized 5- to 15-gallon plants around $120 to $250, and large 20- to 45-gallon specimens around $270 to $600+.

We verified current examples including approximately $84 for 3-gallon Golden Bamboo, $95 for 3-gallon Golden Goddess, $100 for 3-gallon Moso, and $80 for 2-gallon Alphonse Karr.

We also checked current containment recommendations. University of Maryland guidance recommends 30- to 36-inch barrier material at least 60 mil thick, with 6 to 8 inches remaining above the soil.

Current food-safety guidance also confirms that edible bamboo shoots require correct identification and preparation, while lucky bamboo is a Dracaena houseplant rather than a true bamboo species.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a bamboo plant cost?

Most nursery bamboo plants cost about $40 to $200. Large mature specimens typically cost $250 to $600 or more.

How much is a 5-gallon bamboo plant?

Current specialist-nursery pricing generally puts 5-gallon bamboo around $100 to $195, depending on variety.

How much does tall bamboo cost?

Specimens roughly 15 to 25 feet tall commonly cost around $270 to $400+. Very large 45-gallon bamboo can reach $500 to $600 or more.

How much does a bamboo privacy screen cost?

A small planted hedge can cost several hundred dollars, while a substantial professionally installed screen with larger plants and containment can easily cost $1,500 to $3,000+.

Is clumping bamboo more expensive?

Not necessarily. Current clumping and running varieties overlap substantially in price. Container size, rarity, and maturity matter more.

How much does bamboo barrier cost?

Current 30-inch 60-mil HDPE barrier costs around $4 per foot, while heavier 80-mil barrier is around $4.85 per foot before shipping and installation.

Is lucky bamboo real bamboo?

No. Lucky bamboo is Dracaena sanderiana, a tropical houseplant unrelated to true bamboo.

Can bamboo shoots be eaten?

Some bamboo species have edible shoots, but fresh shoots should be correctly identified and properly cooked. Raw or inadequately prepared bamboo shoots can contain cyanogenic compounds capable of releasing hydrogen cyanide.