Sir, – In his welcome article "Bridging the 'attention-action gap' in tackling climate change" (Life, May 27th), Conor Pope recommends growing plants such as bamboo because it can grow quickly and absorb as much as four times the amount of carbon dioxide as other plants. While bamboo is a desirable garden plant, care should be taken with regard to choice of the genus and species to plant because bamboos can be invasive. There are two forms of bamboos: runners and clump-forming ones. Bamboos that are classified as runners can spread rapidly by their underground stems known as rhizomes. They will need strict regular maintenance lest they become invasive if planted in small or medium-sized urban gardens with restricted spaces. There are bamboos that will make splendid, large container-grown plants but they will need maintenance. It is advisable to seek advice with regard to choosing the right kind of bamboo for the garden. – Yours, etc,
MARY TOOMEY,
Blackrock, Co Dublin.