About bamboo...
The bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen (except for certain temperate species) plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Some are giant bamboos, the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos are the fastest growing woody plants in the world. Their growth rate (up to 60 centimeters (24 in.)/day) is due to a unique rhizome-dependent system, but is highly dependent on local soil and climate conditions. They are of economic and high cultural significance in East Asia and South East Asia where they are used extensively in gardens, as a building material, and as a food source.
There are more than 70 genera divided into about 1,000 species. They are found in diverse climates, from cold mountains to hot tropical regions. They occur across East Asia, from 50°N latitude in Sakhalin through to Northern Australia, and west to India and the Himalayas. They also occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Americas from the Mid-Atlantic United States south to Argentina and Chile, reaching their southernmost point anywhere, at 47°S latitude. Major areas with no native bamboos include Europe and Antarctica. (Courtesy Wikipedia)
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Environmentally friendly
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Rapidly renewable
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Harder than Maple
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50% more stable than Oak
There are few attributes which separate this abundant woody grass from other wood flooring products. Bamboo produces new shoots every year, and is individually harvested from controlled forests within three to five years.
There are about 1,000 species of bamboo, one especially suitable for flooring. The species known as Mao Zhu (Giant Hairy Bamboo), which matures in 3-5 years, dpending upon rainfall and other growing conditions. By this time, the mature tree has grown to a height of 45-60 feet with a diameter of 8-12 inches.
Giant Hairy Bamboo is one of the hundreds of species not consumed by panda bears. Pandas in Chibamna live only in forests along the rim of the Tibetan plateau in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. We harvest only from controlled forests in the provinces of Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Guangxi and Hunan, not disturbing the panda's habitat.
Bamboo has an extensive root system which is constantly
In China, bamboo is used for many purposes. New growth literally springs out of the ground and can grow 24 inches in 24 hours. All bamboo timbering is halted for two months each year to allow farmers to thin out new growth (which allows the remaining sprouts more room to grow) while the harvested bamboo is canned for bamboo shoots.
Mature bamboo plants are used for chopsticks, doors, plywood sheeting, flooring, furniture, scaffolding and numerous other uses.