Green carpet

This green carpet is a native bamboo.  It looks like a leprechaun could be jumping around behind the trees.

 

Graceful

I liked how the seeds seem to flow down like a fountain.  The leaves of this plant looked like bamboo.  

 

Not so heavenly

This bush is called Heavenly Bamboo, or Sacred Bamboo, but it's not bamboo. Or heavenly.  In fact it's deadly poisonous.  See here. Cedar Waxwings have been known to die in flocks due to eating the berries.  

Why do we plant non-native poisonous plants when there are so many wonderful native species?  

Bamboo

This truck had a claw like the ones in the game where you try to pick up a toy.  It was picking up bamboo.  

You can see bamboo all along the Neuse River edge.  It's not native and definitely invasive.

The park even had an event to use up some of the bamboo they removed.