Franklin, TN Invasive Plant Rules: Bamboo Restrictions (2026)

The Franklin Municipal Code does not contain a bamboo-specific section. Tennessee has not listed any bamboo species on the Tennessee Pest Plant Rule maintained by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), and bamboo is not on the USDA Federal Noxious Weed List for Tennessee. However, TDA publicly acknowledges that invasive bamboo generates more public complaints than any other plant in Tennessee, and the Tennessee Invasive Plant Council (TN-IPC) recognizes Phyllostachys aurea (golden bamboo) and other running bamboos as established invasive threats in Tennessee under its 'Established Threat' category. Inside Franklin, the absence of a bamboo-specific ordinance means cross-property spread is generally a private civil/common-law nuisance matter: under Tennessee common law, an affected neighbor may cut bamboo rhizomes and stems back at the property line (the 'self-help' rule for encroaching vegetation) and, in serious cases, may file a private nuisance suit for damages, including the cost of rhizome-barrier remediation. If a bamboo planting grows tall enough to constitute 'overgrown vegetation,' harbor vermin, or obstruct sight lines at intersections, it may be cited by Franklin Code Enforcement under the City's general nuisance-vegetation and lot-maintenance provisions, with abatement orders enforceable under Title 1 of the Municipal Code. Other invasive plants of concern in Middle Tennessee that the City discourages (without a specific city ban) include Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana - recently added to TDA's restricted list for nursery sale), tree-of-heaven, autumn olive, and Chinese privet. Best practice for Franklin homeowners considering bamboo: plant only clumping bamboo (Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' and similar) rather than running types, OR if running bamboo is desired, install a 24-30 inch deep HDPE rhizome barrier around the entire planting area with the top edge protruding 2 inches above grade, and trench/inspect annually for rhizome escape.