Moso Bamboo

Phyllostachys Pubescens

 

Origins

This is one of the most extended Bamboo families in the world, partly due to its great facility to adapt to life in different environments, but mainly because of its great characteristics and utilities. It is native to central China, where it has been a fundamental material in daily life for thousands of years, at present it is still found in large virgin forests in the mountains of the interior. In spring, when the new blue-green stems are born from the rhizome, you can appreciate the impressive speed with which this bamboo grows, which can easily exceed 30 cm per day.

Growth and Cutting

The canes reach between 18 and 25 m. height in just a few months and spend the next few years developing their woody structure while the mother plant continues to sprout new stems annually. In this way, although the canes are cut at around 5 years of age, the population remains constant and healthy at all times because by removing the mature stems there are more energy resources such as light, water and nutrients for the new culms.

Drying and Transport

Once cut, the reeds are taken to the nearby plants for selection and drying for at least 3 months until they are ready for shipment. In the environmental aspect, bamboo is considered a perfect substitute for classic timber, since aspects such as the long sea transport to Europe are not as influential in the calculation of the ecological footprint as the enormous amount of environmental CO2 fixed by this plant in its short life cycle. It also functions as a water regulator, creating a large amount of biomass and its collection and use allows the preservation of threatened and delicate tree forests.

The Phyllostachys family includes a variety of very different colors including Phyllostachys Nigra (Black) and Phyllostachys Boryana (Leopard).