Bamboo really is a thing of wonder - versatile, sustainable, eco-friendly, super strong… you can even eat it. In fact, there’s not much that you can’t do with it.
We give you 12 bamboo facts you never you knew you needed…
1. It’s a grass. Yes, bamboo is actually a grass, not a tree, and is the fastest growing land plant in the world, growing up to 1 metre in 24 hours. (You could LITERALLY watch it grow before your very eyes…) Bamboo reaches maturity after only 3 to 5 years, unlike hardwood trees, which can take decades! 🌱
2. It’s planet-friendly. Bamboo releases more than 30% more oxygen into the atmosphere and absorbs more carbon dioxide than any other plant. Less greenhouse gases and cleaner air makes bamboo one of the most eco-friendly materials on earth 🌏
3. It’s very, VERY strong. Bamboo is one of the strongest materials on the planet. It has more compressive strength than concrete and the same strength-to-weight ratio as steel. If bamboo can be used as scaffolding for skyscrapers, we’re pretty sure it can survive your camping or caravanning holidays! 😉
4. It’s self-sufficient. The leaves that naturally fall from bamboo are all the nutrients that it needs to regenerate - no pesticides, irrigation or fertilisers are necessary for bamboo to thrive. The roots of the bamboo plant grow into an extensive system, providing stability to the soil and preventing erosion 👌
5. It’s anti-bacterial. A naturally occurring bio-agent called "bamboo kun" makes bamboo resistant to bacteria and fungus. Bamboo fibre is also odour resistant, making it the perfect material for products such as our caravan and boating tableware ✔
6. It’s virtually indestructible. In Hiroshima, Japan, bamboo was the only plant to survive the radiation of the 1945 atomic bomb. The incinerating heat destroyed all other trees and plant life in the vicinity. Bamboo is also known to reappear following extreme weather including hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons 💪
7. It goes BANG! Some people claim the original Malayan word for bamboo was “Bambu”, resembling the sound bamboo makes when it explodes in open fire. The air pockets between nodes expand to cause a “bam-BOOM!” sound 💥
8. It flowers…sometimes. Most bamboo species only flower once every few decades, but when it does, EVERY plant of that same species flowers at exactly the same time, no matter where it is located in the world. This fact seems to have scientists stumped. (Sorry, couldn’t resist…) 😊
9. It’s panda-friendly. There are 1,500 species of bamboo (Australia alone has 400!). We use Moso (or Mao) bamboo, which is the perfect material to make our beautiful and durable tableware products… and it’s not part of the panda’s diet or habitat, so it’s also animal-friendly 🐼
10. It’s versatile. Bamboo is one of the most versatile plants in existence, due to its many unique and useful properties. Whether used for building material (over 1 BILLION people live in bamboo houses!), clothing, bed sheets, computer hardware, cars, health and beauty products, food… its uses are near limitless 💫
11. It’s the boss! People all over the world people can thank bamboo for their jobs. The bamboo industry employs more than 2.2 billion people in the most diverse professions, such as farm workers, factory workers, construction workers, architects, designers, artists, sales people and many, many more 🌟
12. It’s delicious. Bamboo shoots are considered to be a health food due to their properties of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibres, minerals and a very low fat content. Bamboo shoots are mostly found in Asian cuisine, and have a savoury flavour and a crunchy texture 👏
Seriously…. how amazing is this stuff? For all the reasons above (and many more….), this is why we love bamboo!
