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Genus Dendrocalamus: The biggest bamboos of all
Botanists classify bamboo as a subfamily of grasses, alongside corn, wheat, blue fescue, and ordinary sod. But when you see a towering grove of bamboo, growing more than 100 feet tall, it's hard to think of it as a grass. Of course, not all bamboo varieties get that...
Bamboo Consulting with Bambu Batu
My name is Fred Hornaday and I've been active in the bamboo industry since 2006 when I opened America's first all-bamboo boutique in San Luis Obispo, California. Since 2020, I've been committed to promoting bamboo cultivation and value addition and expanding its...
Bamboo speciation clarification: Bambusa spinosa
Special thanks to Natalia Reategui, who contributed this article as a thoughtful response and addendum to an article that appeared previously here at Bambu Batu. In Thorny Bamboo: Bambusa blumeana and others, from last year (July 2022), Fred reflects on the identities...
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
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 into a tranquil lagoon. Such is the picture of an idyllic bamboo grove, flourishing...