There's no easy way round this one, I'm afraid, the only way is to dig out most of the roots, so that means starting at the outer edges, where you can get a fork in, working all round, possibly excavating some of the soil with a spade so you can get the fork even lower underneath the mound, until you've removed it all, or most of it.

If its a long way from any buildings or anything precious I guess you could use a flame thrower on it (!) but you'd still have to dig out the roots afterwards. Or else plant something rampant like campanula poscharskyana which will grow over it while it rots away. (I grew it over a chopped tree stump once and it worked a treat).

Mine flowered and died too. but I have left the canes in. they still provide 'something' to the space. I just don't fancy trying to dig it out.

Just in case it's a kind that grows here, which species is flowering now?

That's a good point actually, Tugbrethil - surely not Fargesia, that flowered here about 10 years ago, but I'd like to know which one it is too...

Sorry Tugbrethil and Bamboo I have no idea what kind it is (was) I bought it in a small pot at a garden centre years ago and it grew into a big clump but did not spread. I have another clump that was a division from the same plant that so far has not flowered but is currently about 10 feet tall and 6 feet across. I think I will have to try to dig it up. I have no idea what bamboo roots are like, so this could be quite an adventure.