Bamboo - A Renewable Resource

Bamboo - A Renewable Resource

Fun Facts About Bamboo

Bamboo is an extremely fast growing tropical grass with thick, hollow stems. Bamboo can grow as tall as 100 feet and can grow over three feet in one day. I have a variety of bamboo in my back yard and have seen this amazing growth.

Bamboo leaves are the preferred food of the giant panda. Pandas can consume up to 14 pounds of bamboo every single day!

The hollow-cored bamboo stems are commonly used for crafting furniture, flooring, paper fishing poles, and more.There is even bamboo clothing.

There thousands of different types of bamboo found growing all around the world.

Bamboo is a common Chinese symbol which stands for grace, strength and longevity. Bamboo can also stand for fidelity and loyalty.

Bamboo is commonly used in the Asian practice of feng shui to help slow chi.

When hung from overhead beams bamboo counteracts the unwanted energy of the overhead beams.

Bamboo shoots, when properly cooked, can be a tasty and nutritious way to give your cuisine international flair.

"Lucky Bamboo" is not really bamboo at all. A member of the family Dracaena, lucky bamboo is a plant (not a grass, like actual bamboo) that can grow in a simple preparation of water and pebbles.

Bamboo flowering is extremely rare. Decades can pass between flowerings. Usually after bamboo blossoms, it dies. However sometimes it is possible to save the bamboo if this happens.

When harvesting bamboo for crafting purposes, you'll want to get it before it begins leafing and is still young. The best time for this is between two and five years of age.

Bamboo can grow in many different climates and conditions, depending on what type it is. With thousands of varieties, you can surely find a type suited for your environment. There are many hardy varieties that can survive most any climate.