Bamboo’s Incredible Speed: Growing 1.5 Inches in Just One Hour

Some bamboo species can grow so fast you can actually watch them move. Members of the Phyllostachys genus send up new shoots from underground runners at astonishing rates. In one recorded instance, a single bamboo stalk added 1.5 inches to its height in just one hour. Growth happens in sudden bursts as the plant rapidly absorbs water into its cells, expanding and pushing the stalk upward. You don’t need time-lapse photography to notice this motion. The stalk’s upward shift is slow enough to follow with your eyes but fast enough to see in real time. Thanks to this rapid growth, bamboo forests can regenerate after harvesting within a single season. Its speed makes bamboo a sustainable building material and powerful carbon sink.

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