The town ranks fourth in a list of ten bamboo hotspots, with its postcodes accounting for 3.8 per cent of nearly 6,000 bamboo enquiries and survey requests since 2019.
The findings come from invasive plant specialist Environet.
A YouGov survey commissioned by Environet earlier this year found that more than half of people in the UK (54 per cent) are unaware of the serious problems bamboo can cause.
These include hindering property sales, causing physical damage, and neighbour disputes.
Only 38 per cent of people would be put off buying a property with a bamboo infestation.
This is in contrast to the 71 per cent who would be deterred by the presence of Japanese knotweed.
Environet said that although knotweed is more likely to reduce a property’s value due to its stigma, bamboo can cause even greater and faster damage as it spreads more quickly.
Emily Grant, operations director at Environet, said: “The southeast of England by far the worst affected region of the country and in towns like Reading and Slough we’re seeing it cause serious problems for homeowners – breaking through patios, spreading into neighbours’ gardens and making its way into homes.
“People think of bamboo as a harmless and attractive plant but once it takes hold it can be every bit as destructive as Japanese knotweed.”
She advised people to seek professional help if they have the running variety of bamboo.
