Bellingham, WA Invasive Plant Rules: Bamboo Restrictions (2026)

Bellingham's Municipal Code does not contain a bamboo-specific section, and Bellingham has not enacted a city-wide running-bamboo ordinance of the kind adopted by some East Coast jurisdictions (e.g., Fairfax County, VA). Washington's framework for invasive plant regulation runs through Chapter 17.10 RCW (the Washington Noxious Weed Control Law) and the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board (WSNWCB), which maintains three regulated weed classes: Class A (mandatory eradication statewide), Class B (designated for control in specified regions), and Class C (long-established, control optional). BAMBOO IS NOT ON THE WSNWCB STATE NOXIOUS WEED LIST - planting and possession is legal statewide. The Whatcom County Noxious Weed Control Board is established by Chapter 2.27 of the Whatcom County Code and operates from 322 N. Commercial St., Suite 110, Bellingham WA 98225 (360-778-6234). The County Board adopts a weed list each year naming Class A and selected Class B species for mandatory control on private property in unincorporated Whatcom County (and the City of Bellingham participates by intergovernmental coordination). Bamboo does NOT appear on the Whatcom Class A or Class B list, but the County does publish a 'Control Options for Bamboo' technical fact sheet recognizing running bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.) as an invasive nuisance with rhizome-spread that can damage foundations, driveways, irrigation, and pool decks. Recommended control is either (a) physical removal with deep excavation of all rhizomes, (b) repeated mowing/cutting to exhaust the rhizome system (multi-year), or (c) glyphosate-based herbicide application. RHIZOME-BARRIER OPTION: industry best practice is a 24-30 inch deep HDPE rhizome barrier installed in a trench around the planting area with the top edge protruding 2 inches above grade and an annual perimeter trench inspection to detect any rhizomes that have escaped over the barrier. NORTH-SIDE INVASIVES OF CONCERN in the Bellingham/Whatcom area include English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom, Japanese knotweed, butterfly bush (buddleia), garlic mustard, and tansy ragwort - several of which DO appear on the Whatcom noxious weed list as Class B species requiring control. CROSS-PROPERTY SPREAD: Washington common law treats encroaching vegetation as a private nuisance. An affected Bellingham property owner may cut bamboo back at the property line (the 'self-help' rule for encroaching vegetation, recognized in Washington case law for roots and branches), and in serious cases may file a private nuisance action for damages including the cost of installing a rhizome barrier. CITY ENFORCEMENT: Bellingham Code Enforcement may cite overgrown vegetation that constitutes a public nuisance (vermin harborage, sight-line obstruction at intersections, right-of-way obstruction) under the general nuisance and lot-maintenance provisions of the Bellingham Municipal Code, regardless of whether the vegetation is bamboo or another species. CITY OF BELLINGHAM 'Invasive Species and Noxious Weeds' program coordinates volunteer removal events for English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, and other regional invasives in parks and natural areas.