Reduce your Carbon Footprint by Growing Bamboo

By Laurelynn Martin and Byron Martin

Bamboo is a hot commodity in the sustainable marketplace used in products from flooring to fabric. Because of its rapid growth, bamboo is unmatched in its ability to remove carbon dioxide from the environment. Bamboo sequesters as much as four times more carbon dioxide and releases 35% more oxygen than a similar stand of hardwood trees. Planting bamboo is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint.

There are many varieties of bamboo to suit your climate and growing needs. Non-invasive clumping bamboo can be grown in the garden where it creates a beautiful specimen plant or privacy hedge. Bamboo is a superstar when it comes to adding texture, structure, motion and even color to the home gardener’s landscape. Bamboo is eco-friendly; it does not require pesticides to be healthy. Depending on the variety of bamboo you plant, you can harvest the shoots – many of them are edible – and the canes for garden trellises or supports. Plant bamboo this year for its many ecological benefits.