It is hypothesized that the first humans to populate the areas of Southeast Asia relied on bamboo instead of stone as the main building material. The number of artifacts found from that area indicates that stone wasn't nearly as popular as bamboo in that part of the world at that time. But now it is possible for bamboo to grow almost anywhere. Between 1, and 1, species of bamboo have been found thus far and they grow all over the world, depending on what kind of climates the particular species can tolerate.
Most commonly, bamboo is found in places that qualify as tropical, sub-tropical, or temperate zones. Some species of bamboo have been known to grow well indoors in less temperate parts of the world. These species should be hardier types, such as those which can grown in areas that are considered temperate, or zones 4 through 8 in gardening terms.
Many species of bamboo have become staples in gardens and landscaping for gardeners that are trying to achieve a more unique look. The woody grass can be used as a backdrop for some general landscaping or as a more modern look for a smaller garden.
Many gardeners like bamboo because it reaches its full potential in the spring before many other types of plants have even budded and bamboo returns every year until its life cycle ends, which is different for each type of bamboo. Saying that bamboo grows 1 meter a day is misleading as not all bamboo species grow that fast. Therefore, one should always specify the species. These growth rates can be established in shooting season, and when optimal soil and climate conditions are present.
The time-lapse video below for example, also mentions a growth rate of up to 1 meter a day for the Chinese Moso Bamboo Phyllostachys edulis. Another bamboo species which has been reported to have incredible fast growth rates is Madake bamboo Phyllostachys bambusoides. Herbaceous bamboos are usually small and resemble grass and are only a few centimiters tall, while woody bamboos depending on the species can grow up to 30 m tall and 20 cm in diameter, hence the reason they are often confused for being "trees".
The bamboo species Dendrocalamus sinicus is considered the largest bamboo in the world reaching 40 m in height and 30 cm in diameter. An extraordinary example of bamboo's resilience is the fact that it was the only plant to survive the radiation of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima, Japan in The incinerating heat destroyed all trees and other plant life, except for one bamboo grove.
The grove has since been removed, but culms from the grove are preserved in a museum in Hiroshima. Less than a year after he developed the first practical light bulb , Thomas Edison designed a new version that had all the essential features of a modern light bulb; an incandescent filament in an evacuated glass bulb with a screw base. The most critical factor was finding the right material for the filament, the part inside the light bulb that glows when an electric currant is passed through it.
Edison tested more than 1, materials, including coconut fiber, fishing line, even hairs from a worker's beard. Finally, Edison ended up using bamboo fiber for the filament. Edison and his team discovered that carbonized bamboo had the capacity to conduct electrical currant, and that it could last more than hours, more than any other material at the time.
The immensely popular ornamental house plant that is believed to bring positive energy and prosperity for those who place it in house or office, is in fact not a bamboo at all. Lucky bamboo, which originates from the African continent, is widely cultivated in China and Taiwan and exported worldwide.
Unlike real bamboos, lucky bamboo grows very slow at about 10 cm annually. The stalks are usually sold when they are between 10 cm and cm tall. The botanical name for Lucky Bamboo is Dracaena braunii also known as Dracaena sanderiana. Your Cart. What is the Origin of the Word "Bamboo"?
Canada and Europe are really the biggest exceptions, having no native bamboo populations. Still, bamboo has managed to reach these places, by way of nurseries and botanical gardens. Fargesia and Phyllostachys are the most popular genera in those cooler regions, but certainly not the only ones.
But there are a few varieties native to the great continent, and to the island of Madagascar. The genera Bergbambos , Oldeania , and Oxytenanthera are all clumping bamboos unique to sub-Saharan Africa. One species of Yushania Y. Cathariostachys is unique to Madagascar, while Madagascar and New Guinea both have species of Schizostachyum. The New World is also home to a surprising number of tropical bamboos, chiefly found in South and Central America.
Mexico also have a few native genera, like Olmeca and Otatea. Even the eastern United States is home to a few native species, all runners in the genus Arundinaria. These are basically household names among bamboo enthusiasts throughout North America. And in most parts of the US and Canada, bamboo gardeners may be familiar with several other temperate, Asian varieties. There you can branch out into the more exotic cultivars of Dendrocalamus , Schizostachyum , and Thyrsostachys.
Because the islands rose out of the sea as volcanoes, all the plants on the islands actually came from elsewhere, drifting over from Japan, the Philippines and Southeast Asia. See our in-depth article on Bamboo in Hawaii. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Since then he has owned and operated two eco-boutiques and written s of articles about bamboo, green living and world travel.
Buy on Amazon: Bamboo for Gardens. Buy on Amazon: Farming Bamboo. Facebook RSS. Where does bamboo come from? The astonishing diversity of bamboo Bamboo is a perennial grass, belonging to the family Poaceae and comprising its own subfamily Bambusoideae. Bamboo by climate: Tropical vs.
Bamboo in the Americas The New World is also home to a surprising number of tropical bamboos, chiefly found in South and Central America.
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