A homeowner sharing a revenge story on the subreddit r/PettyRevenge found themself the subject of criticism after revealing that they knowingly planted invasive bamboo to get revenge on their neighbors.
In their post, they explained that their neighbor had installed a bright light that shined directly into their home. After attempting diplomacy to ask politely that the light be removed or repositioned, they decided instead to grow a natural barrier. That's when bamboo entered the picture.
"Within 6 months his house and light were GONE from view, replaced by a pretty bamboo jungle row at the edge of my yard," the original poster boasted. "I just checked the property on Google Earth and his entire backyard is bamboo."
While some commenters were amused by the story, many of them condemned the OP for their selfish actions.
"As someone who has dealt with bamboo, this is almost nuclear revenge," one person said.
"You can do so much better than bamboo," another agreed.
Many species of bamboo are geographically invasive in the U.S., which makes them prone to incidents like this one — whether intentionally sown to be destructive or not.
One case of overgrown bamboo in the UK was so bad that the owners had to move out and pay over $120,000 in damages. Another commenter shared a story about someone in their neighborhood who, upon clearing bamboo from their property, discovered an entire house that had been completely consumed by the fast-growing plant.
🗣️ How often will you be gardening this summer?
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🔘 At least once a month 🌱
🔘 I don't garden 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Next time, one person advised: "There might be a native plant that will both serve your purpose and be better for the environment. Some groups will even give you free seeds and there are many tax breaks and even grants that will pay you to plant native species that pollinators and wildlife love. With a bonus of having a backyard full of birds and butterflies!"
Another agreed, saying: "There are a LOT of native to the US cane species that grow tall and relatively quickly that would have all the benefits of bamboo with none of the tricky feels about invasive species!"
Instead, for anyone looking to rewild — or build up — their yard with native plants, consult resources like the National Wildlife Federation's Native Plant Finder.
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