Introduction
We have all heard the claims, “bamboo grows thirty times more quickly than trees”. Whilst this showcases the impressive sustainability of bamboo and its prospects as an eco friendly substitute for many products, it also potentially implies that bamboo is a type of tree. In reality, bamboo belongs to the grass family!
So why do people still get confused about bamboo being a tree or grass?
- Diving deeper into the claims
If people claimed that grass grew thirty times more quickly than trees, we would not be that impressed. So why is the claim about the rate of growth of bamboo made so widely? Bamboo’s woody ringed stems give them a tree like appearance.
What’s more, some species of bamboo reach more than 40 metres in height, so its hardly surprising that some people mistake them for trees.
It is therefore the majestic appearance of bamboo and its similarity to trees which make their fast growing nature so impressive. Once we understand that bamboo is from the grass family, the claim remains impressive, but more understandable
- Bamboo is a member of the grass family
Bamboo is a member of the perennial evergreen grass family, Poaceae, although it is the only grass type that can diversify into a forest, driven by its large size.
Whilst bamboo culms are tree like in appearance and often very tall, they are completely hollow, and grow very quickly within a short time frame before plateauing to their mature height.
This compares with trees which would only go hollow if internal deadwood had began to decay, and trees can continue to grow for up to 40 years before fully maturing.
To paint a picture of just how different bamboo and trees are, take the average lifespan of each assuming they are in a healthy environment. Bamboo trees live between 7-10 years on average, whilst many trees live up to 400 years!
- Wait a second….why does this question even matter?
Why does the classification of bamboo as a tree or grass matter so much in the first place?
The use of bamboo as an alternative to trees has been widely heralded in recent years, particularly when it comes to its potential use in clothing, disposable cutlery, tissues and other consumer products.
This is mainly due to the significantly harmful impact of deforestation, which limits the ability of trees to absorb carbon, kills wildlife and leaves barren land which cannot be replanted on.
Once we appreciate that bamboo is not just an alternative to trees, but actually part of a completely different family of plants, the grass family, its potential as an eco friendly alternative to trees becomes far greater.
Imagine if every time we mowed our front lawn, the cut grass could be used to make household products rather than being thrown in our green bins. This may not be currently possible, but using bamboo is, and we should use this to our advantage.