Although technically a grass, Bamboo deserves a place of honor among the trees.

With over 1,000 unique species, excellent durability as a construction material, and the record as the fastest-growing plant on Earth (Bamboo has been clocked surging skyward as fast as 47.6” in 24 hours!), Bamboo sways far above the competition as a renewable resource.

Bamboo’s astonishingly fast growth and abundance is fed only by rainwater and entirely without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. A stand of Bamboo stalks will produce 35% more oxygen and absorb nearly 5x the amount of greenhouse gases than a comparably sized stand of trees. And compared to trees, bamboo has a relatively short maturation cycle, reaching ideal density for harvest in only 5-10 years.

SC41 sells products made from Moso Bamboo, meaning “hairy Bamboo”. In its first growing season this giant often reaches 80’ in height and 6” in diameter, and in five years it is fully mature and harder than Red Oak. Enormous Moso forests cover as much as 90 million acres in South Central China, but Moso is not found in the habitat of the Giant Panda so don’t worry about disturbing our furry friends. These bamboo stalks dancing in the wind like waves have earned these forests the poetic name “The Bamboo Sea”.

Uses for Bamboo

Bamboo has been called the eco-fiber of the 21st century. It can be used for paper, knitting needles, fence making, bridges, toilets, walking sticks, canoes, tableware, decorative artwork, carving, furniture, chopsticks, food steamers, toys, bicycles, hats, abaci, various musical instruments, and Bamboo is the traditional material used for fly fishing rods.

A technique of making bamboo fiber from bamboo pulp has been developed in East Asian countries. The rayon type fabric made of bamboo fiber can be used for yarn and fabrics. The textile industry benefits from the many properties of this kind of fabric: soft, absorbent, antibacterial, UV resistant, and thermo-regulating. Thanks to its hypoallergenic properties, bamboo fiber is also perfect for a baby's sensitive skin.

In tropical climates bamboo is used in elements of house construction, construction scaffolding, and as a substitute for steel reinforcing rods in concrete construction. Even in the United States and France, it is possible to have an earthquake and cyclone-resistant house made entirely from bamboo!

There are many informative websites focusing on the phenomenal bamboo plant. To learn more, a good place to start is the American Bamboo Society.