What Type of Plant Is Bamboo?

Although vastly unlike the types of grass most people are used to seeing, bamboo is indeed a large grass plant. Well known for being the food of choice for many a panda bear, bamboo is grown in many places throughout the world for a variety of reasons and uses. A visually stunning and incredibly strong plant, it's sometimes hard to believe that bamboo shares so much in common with the green grass seen in parks and yards.

Classification

Bamboo belongs to the kingdom Plantae, order Poales and the family Poaceae, the true grass family.

Types

Although there are over 1,000 species of bamboo, there are only two basic types: spreading and clumping. Clumping bamboo stays close together, growing new stalks, or culms, each year. Spreading bamboo will quickly fill an area with new culms sprouting and growing up to several feet away from the original plant.

Function

Bamboo has a variety of uses, including food, medicine and construction. It has also been used in making fences, musical instruments and furniture, among other applications. Bamboo is also grown in landscaping for increased privacy because of its height and thickness.

Cultivation

Bamboo prefers fertile, well-drained soil, but is highly adaptable and will grow even in poor soils. Most varieties of bamboo grow best in full sunlight and require occasional grooming to remove shedded leaves and old, dead canes.

Fun Fact

Besides being a food source for pandas, bamboo is seen as a symbol of friendship in India, and a symbol of longevity in China because of its long life.

Resources

• Bamboo FAQ from Lewis Bamboo
• Bamboo Information from Little Acre Farms