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Genus Chusquea: Solid bamboo of the Americas
If you tend to think of bamboo as a giant grass from Asia with hollow stems, and roots that will run rampant all over your well-tempered garden, then it's time to learn about the genus Chusquea. While most of those assumptions may be pretty accurate most of the time,...
The Sulcus Groove: Why bamboo feels groovy
If you've ever gotten up close and personal with some bamboo — and believe me, I have — there's a few things you'll notice. The handsome, upright stems, known as culms, have a smoothness that's uncommon in nature. Then, every 10 or 20 inches, there's a joint in the...
Oxytenanthera abyssinica: Bamboo of the savannah
UPDATE: This article first appeared in spring 2022, last updated in October 2023. Imagine the sound of bamboo leaves rustling in a gentle breeze, the hollow canes knocking together with soft percussion. Your imagination might also add a refreshing waterfall pouring...
Bamboo Morphology: 9 Parts of the bamboo plant
The more you know about bamboo, the more fascinating the plant becomes. From the strength of its fibers to the tenacity of its roots to the unpredictability of its flowering, this is a grass like no other. At the same time, from an anatomical and botanical...
Fertilizing your bamboo: Simple solutions
It seems like the most common problem gardeners have with bamboo is that it grows too fast. Certain varieties of running bamboo can definitely be aggressive or even invasive. But without proper care and feeding, your bamboo might also languish, lose leaves and fail to...
Bambusa balcooa: Beema bamboo for better biomass
Looking for the optimal species of bamboo to save the planet? With more than a thousand species to choose from, it's hard to know the best bamboo for capturing carbon, generating oxygen, or producing a robust building material. To select the best bamboo, you also need...
