ORIGIN Bamboo’s history dates back more than 5,000 years (Build Direct Learning Center, 2012). The material is native to tropical and subtropical countries including South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Northern Australia, seen in the diagram below (Traditional and Innovative Joints in Bamboo Construction, 2012, p.1).
BAMBOO AS A GRASS Bamboo is a type of woody large grass that belongs to the Poaceae family and generally falls into two types; runner and clumper (Traditional and Innovative Joints in Bamboo Construction, 2012, p.7). There are 650 subfamilies and 10,000 species that fall into the Poaceae category (Bamboo, 2006, p.13). Bamboo is grouped as a subfamily of Poaceae called the Bambusoideae (Bamboo, 2006, p.13) Runner bamboo is mostly found in China, Japan, and Korea. It grows in shallow soil and spreads far away from its parent plant so it has a reputation for being an invasive species (Traditional and Innovative Joints in Bamboo Construction, 2012, p.7). Clumper bamboo is found mostly in America and Asia
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and the shoots grow from one regenerating root (Traditional and Innovative Joints in Bamboo Construction, 2012, p.1). Within the Bambusoideae family, moso bamboo is the most commonly grown and used bamboo in Asia and is also the most frequently used bamboo in North America (Environmental Building News, 2013). Bamboo’s applications in North America are similar to that of wood products (eg. flooring, millwork and veneer). Because of this bamboo is commonly thought of as a wood, but in reality it is actually a grass (Bamboo, 2006, 20). Unlike trees, it is a self-regenerating plant that does not need to be replanted after it is harvested (Environmental Building News, 2013).
FAR LEFT: Diagram of Types TOP: Map of Regions where Bamboo Grows LEFT: Runner BOTTOM RIGHT: Clumper