How much bamboo grows in a day

Short answer: The fastest growing bamboo species can grow several dozen centimetres a day under the right conditions. The growth happens in a short period each year rather than evenly all the time, and far from all species grow that fast.

Growth in bursts

Bamboo does not grow a little every day all year. The plant has an intense period when new shoots rise quickly, and during that time the height can change visibly from morning to evening. After that the upward growth stops. The plant spends the rest of the season making the stem firm and strong.

Why it happens so quickly

A new shoot comes out of the ground with its sections already formed. It does not have to build itself from scratch, but stretches the sections that are already there. The energy comes from the root network underground, which the plant has built up over several years. That is one reason the growth can be so fast.

Conditions decide

Warmth, moisture and soil decide how fast it goes. The highest figures come from ideal conditions in the tropics, where it is warm and wet for long periods. In a cooler climate the same species grow more slowly, and in a garden in northern Europe you rarely get close to the figures you read about from Asia.

Not all species

There are many hundreds of bamboo species, and far from all of them grow fast. Some are small ornamental plants that only reach a couple of metres and grow at a calm pace. The species used for textiles are among the vigorous ones, forming large stems with a lot of plant material in a fairly short time.

A plant, not a tree

Although the stem can look like wood, bamboo is a grass. That explains part of the growth, because grass grows differently from trees, which get thicker year by year. A bamboo stem has its full thickness from the start and does not get wider over time. Read more in is bamboo a grass or a tree.

Why it matters

The fast growth is one of the reasons bamboo is used as a raw material for textiles. A plant that quickly forms new stems from the same root network can be harvested again without being replanted. That alone does not say everything about the finished fabric, though. Read more in how fast does bamboo grow.

From plant to fabric

The route from stem to soft fabric goes through a chemical process. The stems are broken down, and the cellulose is dissolved and formed into new threads, which are then spun and knitted or woven. That is why a hard cane can end up as a smooth, soft textile. The whole process is described in from bamboo plant to soft fabric.

What you feel in the clothes

When you put on a piece of bamboo clothing, you feel nothing of the plant's growth. What you feel is the fabric: how smooth it is, how lightly it falls and how it feels against the skin. Bamboo viscose is usually soft and supple, which is why it is often used for clothes worn close to the body all day.

See the range

If you want to see how the raw material ends up as finished clothing, you will find the whole range in one place. It includes basics and everyday clothing made from bamboo viscose. Look at fit and fabric weight in the descriptions so you find something that suits the way you dress. See bamboo clothing for women.

Frequently asked questions

How fast does bamboo grow?

The fastest species can grow several dozen centimetres a day under ideal conditions. This only happens during a short period each year, when new shoots come up from the root network.

Do all bamboo species grow that fast?

No. There are many hundreds of species, and many of them grow at a calm pace. The highest figures apply to vigorous species in warm and humid parts of the world.