Facts about Bamboo

Bamboo are a group of woody perennial evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, sub family Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae.

Some of its family members are giants forming by far the largest members of the grass family.

Some of the tips on the larger species grow over 1 meter in 1 day!

Bamboo stems are jointed with regular nodes and each node bears 1 leaf, some even form side branches.

Bamboo is thus unlike any other grass.

A single stem (culm) of bamboo from an established root system typically reaches its full height in just one year.

Bamboo forests are self renewing after harvest and will grow to maturity suitable for harvesting in 5-7 years.

This is a very short time when compared to most other timbers which require 10-20 years before harvest.

Unlike plantation timbers no chemical sprays or fertilisers are required to keep the bamboo forest healthy and productive.

Bamboo is the fastest growing canopy for the re-greening of degraded lands releasing 35% more oxygen than equivalent trees.

Some bamboos even sequester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per hectare.

If correctly harvested and processed bamboo will outperform the very best timbers in strength, hardness and dimensional stability.

Aside from a small variation in the node point the strength is consistent the entire cut length.

Widely used as a building material, bamboo has long been regarded in Asia as both practical and beautiful.

No other plant, other than rice has played such an essential role in the lives across Asia.

The rest of the world is now beginning to discover the amazing qualities of bamboo.