Bamboo-zeled

Besides being the grub of choice by China's favorite fuzzy bears, what do you know about bamboo?

Species of bamboo represent the fastest growing woody plant on earth. It can grow as fast as 47 inches per year, and has been known to reach a maximum growth rate of 39 inches per hour for short periods of time.

Construction
Bamboo is comparable in strength to steel, therefore it is often used to reinforce cement structures, as well as provide a sturdy scaffolding materiel for the building process. Due to its incredible growth rate and literally stronger than steel composition (when properly cured of course) bamboo is both good to the environment, a much cheaper alternative to wood and is easily farmed in remote areas as a source of income to the local population. Many new homes and renovations are choosing bamboo hard wood floors over the common hardwoods which all too often are cut down from wild habitat.

A practical use for bamboo in the home:
If you've got a bunch of kids running around- building the classic tree house with a twist. By using bamboo it can be cheaper, lighter (which means easier) and will still hold the weight of a bunch of kids. Be sure to get properly cured timber as to lessen the risk of pest infestation.

Food
The new shoots of bamboo are edible, and yummy. You can buy them canned in most supermarkets and fresh in some more interesting shops you come accross.

Medicine
Bamboo has been used in Chinese medecine to treat infections. It is also a used to treat respiratory diseases in India.

Other stuff about bamboo...
In Japan, Hawaii and elsewhere, small sharpened bamboo spears are used in tattooing.
One big bamboo shoot can be made into a didgeridoo. Riiicholaaaa!
rs
The most interesting thing that I've learned all semester is what I stumbled upon while researching for this blog. Bamboo is quite a fascinating plant. It goes to seed seldom and unpredictably and the seeding process often lasts for years ending in the death of the plant. The longest recorded period of seeding recorded for a species of bamboo lasted over 130 years! For other species the plant will grow for 30 years then go to seed for 15 to 20 years. While it is at seed it uses all of its energy to reproduce, then dies in the end. Remember when the pandas were starving? Now we both know why!