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The Best Varieties of Bamboo for Building and Construction

The Best Varieties of Bamboo for Building and Construction

With all the talk about bamboo construction and building houses from bamboo, a lot of people are asking: What are the best varieties of bamboo for building? The best bamboo species for building and construction are going to grow very tall, usually more than 40 or 50...

Genus Phyllostachys: Prolific bamboo for all climates

Genus Phyllostachys: Prolific bamboo for all climates

The botany of bamboo is a vast and diverse world of its own. The Bambusoideae subfamily of grasses includes nearly 100 genera and more than 1,200 species. And to the casual observer, the majority of these grasses look strikingly similar. But if you're trying to wrap...

Clumping bamboo for cold climates: Ornamental options

Clumping bamboo for cold climates: Ornamental options

So you'd like to plant some bamboo in your garden. It's fast-growing, with an exotic flair, and it can add a great deal of ornamental elegance to your ordinary greenery. But there are two things you might be worried about. First, you get snow in the winter, and you...

Bamboo in Thailand: Tropical wonderland

Bamboo in Thailand: Tropical wonderland

Thailand's friendly people, exquisite cuisine and idyllic beaches make it one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth. The tropical climate appeals to international travelers as well as a prolific diversity of native plant species. And like most of Southeast...

Bamboo farming in the US in 2023

Bamboo farming in the US in 2023

UPDATE: This article originally appeared in January 2020, most recently updated in March 2024. In the past few decades, the variety of bamboo products has just exploded. From socks to towels to sheets to flooring, bamboo can do pretty much anything. And thanks to a...

On a mission to promote the prudent cultivation of bamboo by providing gardeners, farmers and policymakers with useful and accurate information about this extraordinary plant. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Bamboo & beyond

Bambu Batu is the brainchild of Fred Hornaday, author and eco-entrepreneur. Since its inception in 2006, Bambu Batu has been dedicated to promoting bamboo for all its amazing uses. Whether you’re using bamboo to spruce up your garden or to build a zen temple, this remarkable plant has enormous ecological and economical potential. Peruse the hundreds of articles on the website, and discover for yourself the fascinating world of bamboo.

Bamboo & beyond

Since 2006, Fred Hornaday has been promoting bamboo with passion and sincerity. What began as a small eco-boutique in a charming California beach town is now an international network spanning six continents. Whether you’re planning a Japanese garden or a commercial plantation, Bambu Batu can help you understand this remarkable plant and its enormous ecological and economical potential. Peruse the website, and discover for yourself the fascinating world of bamboo.

our retail store

From 2006 until 2020, Bambu Batu provided a magical space in San Luis Obispo, offering an unsurpassed selection of bamboo and natural fiber clothing, as well as bamboo furniture and kitchenwares, and an eclectic array of spiritual items.

Today, our family has adopted the life of Digital Nomadism. But our website continues to bring you a wealth of articles about all things bamboo, including environmental insights, horticultural pointers and a slew of fun facts.

Bamboo clothing at Bambu Batu
Bamboo clothing at Bambu Batu

our retail store

From 2006 until 2020, Bambu Batu provided a magical space in San Luis Obispo, offering an unsurpassed selection of bamboo and natural fiber clothing, as well as bamboo furniture and kitchenwares, and an array of spiritual items.

Today, we offer our services to bamboo enthusiasts around the globe. Our website continues to deliver a wealth of articles about all things bamboo, and our one-on-one consultations provide specific guidance towards growing bamboo commercially.

BENEFITS OF BAMBOO

For thousands of years, people have been using and cultivating bamboo for food, construction, crafts and textiles. It grows faster than anything, produces more oxygen than trees, has a greater tensile strength than steel, and can be made into a fabric softer than pima cotton. At this challenging moment of climate crisis, bamboo is probably the earth’s most promising natural resource.

 

Best bamboo for poles

BENEFITS OF BAMBOO

For thousands of years, people have been using and cultivating bamboo for food, construction, crafts and textiles. It grows faster than anything, produces more oxygen than trees, has a greater tensile strength than steel, and can be made into a fabric softer than pima cotton. At this challenging moment of climate crisis, bamboo is probably the earth’s most promising natural resource.

 

Best bamboo for poles

Did you know that bamboo comprises a subfamily of grasses with more than 1,200 species, endemic to every continent but Europe and Antarctica?

learn more about bamboo

The Best Bamboo Floor Mats and Area Rugs in 2024

The Best Bamboo Floor Mats and Area Rugs in 2024

Green architects and conscious homeowners understand the many benefits of bamboo flooring. Strong, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing, it's everything you could want from a hardwood floor. But if you're in a temporary space, like a rented apartment, it might not...

Iron Bamboo: Stronger than steel

Iron Bamboo: Stronger than steel

The remarkable strength of bamboo has long invited comparisons to more industrial materials like iron and steel. And while certain more graceful and whispy varieties take on names like Seabreeze, Buddha Belly, and Umbrella Bamboo, a handful of the most formidable...

Bamboo Flowering: A botanical phenomenon

Bamboo Flowering: A botanical phenomenon

From food to flooring, bamboo has thousands of practical uses. But when was the last time someone brought you a bouquet of bamboo flowers? When was the last time you even saw a bamboo flower, for that matter? Perhaps never, because bamboo flowers are both infrequent...