Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth. Some species of bamboo can grow more than 1 meter per day, which is about 4 cm per hour. No other plant grows faster. Two examples of such fast growing bamboos are Madake (Phyllostachys reticulata) and Moso (Phyllostachys edulis).
A new bamboo shoot will reach its full height in less than a year by going through several rapid spikes of growth. The largest bamboo species in the world is Dendrocalamus sinicus, which can grow up to 46 m in height and up to 37 cmin diameter.
Bamboo, the Largest Member of the Grass Family
While bamboo may grow taller than some trees, bamboo is not a tree but a group of plants that belong to the grass family. Bamboo plants come out of the ground with a fixed diameter and stems will not get thicker over the years (as is the case with trees). In addition, bamboo also doesn’t grow taller as it gets older. A fully grown 1 year old bamboo stem, however, is not considered mature yet. Depending on the species and diameter, it usually takes another 1 to 4 years for a bamboo stem to mature into a hard, wood-like material. The bigger the stem, the longer it will take to mature.
Another amazing feature of bamboo is that it is the only type of grass that can develop itself into a forest. Bamboo will constantly reproduce itself, even after harvesting, new shoots will continue to sprout from its extensive root system without having to replant. Because of all these unique characteristics, bamboo is rightfully labeled as a highly renewable and sustainable resource.
Daily Growth: Night vs Day
Most running bamboos (leptomorph) such as those in the genus of Phyllostachys grow faster during the day than during the night. On the other hand, clumping bamboos (pachymorph) in tropical regions grow faster during the night than during the day.
For example, Dendrocalamus strictusgrows twice as much during the night than during the day, and there are species such as Bambusa oldhamii which grows up to three times more during the night than during the day.
What are the Fastest Growing Bamboo Species?
According to the records mentioned by Koichiro Ueda the greatest growth rates of a bamboo culm shoots per day (24 hours) are the following:
- 121 cm by Madake, Phyllostachys reticulata (12 cm in diameter) which is the maximum record of daily growth. It was measured by Koichiro Ueda on the outskirts of Kioto on June 23, 1955.
- 119 cm by Moso, Phyllostachys edulis (diameter of 16 cm), observed on May 24, 1956 by Koichiro Ueda in Nagaoka, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
- 91 cm by Bambusa bambos observed at Kew Garden in England in 1855.
In Colombia, the maximum growth observed in Guadua angustifolia has been 30 cm in 24 hours, although the average is around 11-15 cm per day.
I love the size of the large timber bamboos, like Moso, but I have heard that these are slow to create large groves. I got lots of land for these to spread on. I would like a quick, large grove with thick canes. So what are the quicker types of large running timber bamboo? I am located in Central Florida, USDA Zone 9a.
Phyllostachys vivax is by far the fastest of cold hardy timber bamboos in my garden 9a/9b zone…
I know runners make wonderful groves, though planting large clumping species are just as beautiful and a lot quicker to establish. Dendrocalumus and Gigantochloa would surely grow very quick and produce very good timber in Florida. I’m on the east coast of Australia and mine are doing very well. Less maintenance and less pest as well. Good luck!
Which species of Dendrocalamus and Gigantochloa do you suggest specifically? I have land in Sumbawa, Indonesia and want to grow bamboo there. The climate is very hot and humid. Temperature never goes below 20C and hovers around 35C during the day. The humidity is the killer with high humidity all year round and gets very oppressive for several months. The area gets around 1400 mm rainfall a year during the 4-5 month wet season and usually does not rain for 5 months during the dry season. My land is 500 meters from the sea. I also have some land at an elevation of about 100-200 feet above sea level. I am wanting a bamboo that grows very quickly, is of very large diameter and height. It will be used for building construction and roofing. I have irrigation water. Any advice would be appreciated.
Dendrocalamus brandisii will be good for a place near the sea as it can tolerate salinity.
For the second piece of land you can choose between Dendrocalamus asper (for sweet shoots), Dendrocalamus giganteus or Dendrocalamus sinicus for biggest diameter and length culms.