15 reasons why Bamboo is "the greenest plant" on earth
Updated: Aug 10, 2021
For mileniums, bamboo has been part of most asian economies and cultures, particularly in China. Luckily, in recent years we have learned about this amazing plant's versatility, resistence and environmetal benefit. This has led to a rise in bamboo's usage around the world.
Here we show you some of its characteristics.
1. It is actually a type of grass!.
This type of grass has a woody trunk, the bamboo cane. The fact that it is grass means that when it's cut it continues to grow with no problem.
2. It can reach up to 15 to 35 m height and up to 40 cm in diameter.
3. It grows in every continent, except Europe.
The greatest amounts of bamboo are cultivated by approximately 600 million people who mostly live in poverty. Therefore, the bamboo market helps them improve their life quality. In this way, bamboo serves a humanitarian and economic purpose too.
4. It grows faster than any other plant.
Bamboo can grow up to 1 meter in 24 hours. The species Phyllostachys heterocycla 'Pubescens' (Moso bamboo) is the fastest growing plant in the world.
5. It is known as "green steel".
The tensile strength of bamboo is greater than that of steel and unlike other woods, bamboo wood does not swell due to water. This makes bamboo particularly suitable for construction and prolongs the life of bamboo products.
6. Bamboo produces more oxygen in photosynthesis than any other plant, removing large amounts of CO2 from the air.
It produces 35% more oxygen than a wooden tree of the same size.
7. Cultivating Bamboo is sustainable, rather cheap, easy and does not require pesticides nor fertilizers.
In forestry, sustainability is the use of forest land in the form of a closed cycle, meaning the amount of wood removed will grow back. Taking points number 1 and 4 into account, bamboo ticks the required boxes to make it sustainable: whatever is cut away, grows right back.
In the same way, bamboo is extremely fertile, which is why 1/5 hectare of bamboo is equivalent to one hectare of other woods.