Episode 20:Lucky Torture & Hangry Foodie Rats- Bamboo
Hello + welcome back to another week of Rooted! It’s hard to believe we are already on episode 20, and for this one we are talking about a fast-growing, luck-bringing giant- bamboo.
Bamboo isn’t just one plant, but is actually a very diverse sub family of fast-growing perennials belonging to the Bambusoideae bamboo soi dye sub family of the grass family Poaceae, poe a c eye which means- you guessed it, bamboo is a GRASS. But you aren’t alone if you thought it was a tree! These guys and palms (which are also grasses) easily confuse us because, well let’s face it, they aren’t nearly as waggly or wavy as their wacky weirdo cousins.
Bamboo is actually even further divided into three clades classified as tribes,which are all based on where they tend to grow. They are:
1)New World herbaceous species (Olyreae) found in the americas
2) tropical woody bamboos (Bambuseae) found primary in areas like the philippines,
And 3) temperate woody bamboos (Arundinarieae) these are the ones we mostly think of when we think of bamboo forests in china.
All told there are more than 1400 distinct species of bamboo spread across 115 genre.
While there are many different types of bamboo- each with their own personal attributes, needs, etc- there are some things that stay the same for all of them.
For instance- most bamboo prefers moist, rich, and well draining soil, with plenty of room to grow and spread. But, bamboo is notorious for growing pretty much anywhere, not minding too much about soil quality or space so long as it has access to some water.
In fact, most bamboo is so prolific that it can be nearly impossible to get rid of or control once planted if not managed carefully.
Bamboo is able to grow so prolifically and quickly due to its rhizome dependant system. To break that down, the way bamboo grows is actually VASTLY different than most other plants. Essentially, it grows in clusters as a “colony” which means that it will focus it’s energy on one group of canes for a short period of time (usually about 60 days) in the growing season (spring)
While it’s focused on that group of canes it is solely focused there- meaning it is putting on as much growth there as it possibly can for those 60 days- getting as tall and thick as possible.
Then, after those 60 days, the plant will move on to another group- not spending any additional energy on upward or outward growth on the past group. While it will put on new leaves each year, old growth will never get any taller or wider.
As the plant grows stronger with each additional colony, each group gets taller and wider until it reaches maturity- usually within 7-10 years.
The part of bamboo we see is only about 50% of the plant, with their roots and rhizome network making up the rest of it in a complex network of underground growth, that can be either in clumping masses or more linear patterns depending on the style of growth (clumping or running bamboo).
Speaking of Growth- On average bamboo can grow up to 3 feet (91cm) a day or the length between the top of your thumb + the first knuckle every HOUR.
The fastest growing variety of bamboo is Japanese giant timber bamboo, which grows about 4 feet or 1.5 meters in 24 hours - that’s about as long as 1 credit card an hour.
If you want to grow bamboo, the best way to do it is always to take a cutting or clump from an established colony. Not only will this go a lot faster, but apparently most bamboo will only seed once every 20-120 YEARS, and seeds are only viable for a very short period of time, so waiting for a viable seed is just not practical.
Interestingly, this short and rare seed cycle means that when a species of bamboo DOES flower, there is only a period of 5-10 years to see the blooms before they are all gone for another 20-120 year period.
When they do bloom, the flowers look a lot like other grass blooms- sort of spikey and super hairy. Bamboo flowers specifically look like a mix between pampas grass and corn husks, with weird little baubles - the seeds- hanging down. I’ll put a picture up on instagram, because it is super strange and for sure worth taking a peak at.
Bamboo blooms are a rarity, which according to an old proverb MIGHT be for the best. According to the Mizo people of modern day north-east India “When the bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction will soon follow." And While this would be easy to brush off as a creepy old-timey saying, there is some truth to this.
There are all kinds of examples, but the 2 most well-documented cases of bamboo flowers lining up with massive terrible events are the 1894 arrival of the bubonic plague in China, and the great rat infestation of Mizoram which happened last in 2004.
While the arrival of the bubonic plague in China may have just been a case of bad timing for bamboo flowers, with the blooms lining up nearly perfectly with the entire timeline of the pandemic from 1894-1898.
However, We NOW know that the bubonic plague was mostly carried by rats, which is interesting because one snack rats LOVE? Bamboo seeds…
We know this because of a rat infestation that happens to line up EXACTLY with the 50 year bloom cycle of Mizoram…apparently the rats FLOCK to the forests and towns when the specific species of bamboo flowers. This is because they provide a massive amount of super tasty seeds, so the whole forest basically becomes a tourist destination for hangry foodie rats. Terrifying stuff. Imagine your hometown being under siege from RATS every 50 years? No thank you.
In less horrific folklore, a story in Japan known as “The Bamboo Cutter” details the life of a man who finds a tiny child turned eternal moon princess trapped in a piece of bamboo.
The story goes that once a bamboo cutter was having a perfectly average day on the job. He was going about his day, going through the motions of cutting bamboo and harvesting it to take back to the city to sell. Everything was pretty normal, until suddenly he cut into a stalk and found a teeny tiny baby- no bigger than his thumb.
Upon finding the tiny baby, he took her home to his wife, where they agreed they would name the child Nayotake no Kaguya-hime or "Shining Princess of the Young Bamboo", and raise her as their own.
Every day the man went to cut bamboo, and in every stalk he found a golden nugget. Before long his family was quite wealthy, and were able to provide a perfect childhood for Nayotake.
As time passed, they child grew bigger and stronger, until over the course of a few years she had grown into a beautiful woman. While the family had at first tried to keep Nayotake a secret, before long she had a line of men waiting for a chance to ask for her hand in marriage.
The first 5 nobleman to ask for her hand were really rather boring, so Nayotake decided to give them impossible tasks in order to even stand a chance with her.
The first was asked to procure the begging bowl of buddha, but instead of going on the quest, the man decided to try and pass a black stone cauldron as the bowl. However, Nayotake was NOT about to fall for the cheap knock off- it didn’t have the signature glow of the buddha’s bowl, and she knew there was settling for these second-hand shenanigans
The next was asked to procure a bejeweled branch from a tree on the mysterious island of Hōrai. The next week the man returned- branch in hand. Nayotake was satisfied with the offering, and even contemplated giving the man a chance- until his jeweler turned up at the house asking for his payment.
The third man was supposed to bring back a robe made of chinese fire-rat skins, which were said to be inflammable, but his dreams LITERALLY went up in smoke when Nayotake set the robe he brought her on fire almost instantly.
The fourth was tasked with stealing a gem from a dragon’s neck, but chickens out when he realizes he was born without sea legs, and panics in the face of his first storm on his voyage to find said dragon.
Finally, suitor number 5 was supposed to find a snail shell that was laid by a swallow, but he literally plummeted from his death while rooting around in a particularly precarious swallow’s nest.
After being disappointed by yet another man, Nayotake decides it might be better to just never get married- but the Emperor of Japan wasn’t done trying to woo her.
Instead of being pushy and rude, the emperor was patient and kind, so as the years passed he and Nayotake became great friends. In time, her parents truly thought they would get married. However, one day her mother found Nayotake weeping in her room. When she asked what was wrong, her daughter explained that she couldn’t risk forming human attachment to anyone else, as she had to return to her home on the moon.
And this is where you know her parents are the NICEST people in the world because instead of questioning it, they just ask how they can support her,,,which i guess if they werent weirded out by finding her as a thumb baby in a bamboo stalk, what would phase them?!
Any way, one day the moon people come down to take her home, and explain that THEY were behind the gold in the bamboo- they were leaving it for her parents in order to ensure Nayotake had the happiest life on earth possible.
Before she leaves, she thanks her parents, and gives the emperor an amulet that will make him immortal. Devastated, he asks his men to find the mountain closest to the moon and burn the amulet because he doesn't want to live forever if she isn't there AND he is hoping it will be the equivalent of holding a boombox over his head and telling her he is sorry
While this didn’t have the desired effect, it IS the reason that mount fuji is called that-a nod to immortality from this story.
In china, one story goes that once there was a boy who was desperate for food for his family. His mom was very sick, and he was starving. One day he felt so hopeless that all he could do was weep. As his tears hit the earth, they formed into bamboo shoots- so many that he had more than enough to feed his family. He rushes home to make a soup, which is not only tasty, but actually cures his mother.
In some Malaysian legends, it is said that humans came from bamboo when a man dreamed of a beautiful woman sleeping under the bamboo, and when he woke up in the morning he broke the stem open and found her inside. A variation of this story is that they were both split from the same reed, with a bit of hesitation around being siblings or meant-to-be spouses, but ultimately they do get married and thus humanity begins.
Bamboo is deeply ingrained in so many cultures, that it would be nearly impossible to share all of the amazing stories and tales tied to it. Some people (especially in regions near modern day india and nepal) tend to believe that bamboo brings misfortune when planted, as it can cast a shadow that invites the spirit of death, and can even lead to infertility. Interestingly in other cultures and religions, bamboo is said to be good luck, and can bring fertility and prosperity.
These beliefs can mostly be traced back to not only the stories above, but also the buddhist concept of enlightenment.
For context, a key step to becoming enlightened is to accept that one must be empty to accept the universal spirit. As you likely remember, bamboo is both at once strong, full of life, and absolutely hollow at it’s core. Making it the perfect symbol for enlightenment.
While bamboo has played a massive role in many cultures and traditions, it’s also said to have played a role in some darker parts of history.
There are some reports that bamboo played a key role in torture in the early 19th century in countries like Japan, India, and China. However, this is disputed, as we don’t have many accounts of this happening, so it’s debated whether or not this would be historically accurate.
The aleged torture (without getting into too much detail) involved tying someone up, and placing them on (sometimes SHARPENED) bamboo shoots, and waiting for them to just casually grow through their victim.
Just for kicks, in 2008 Mythbusters tested to see if this is even possible by placing ballistic gel on top of bamboo shoots- sure enough, within 3 days the bamboo had penetrated the gel- which is said to be about the same as human flesh- a big yikes.
But Bamboo isn't all bad! We also use it for a TON of really positive things.
In food, bamboo is not only a tasty treat (and vital source of nutrients) for pandas, but it’s also a very healthy addition to our diets.
Young bamboo shoots are added into a myriad of soups, curries, rice dishes, and so much more! It adds a delightful texture AND a ton of vitamins and minerals like potassium, iron, manganese, copper, calcium, zinc, and vitamin A, B6, B10, B12, and vitamin E.
Not only are they used in food, bamboo is also commonly used as a sustainable option for cutlery, and as a substitute for paper products!
Bamboo is a popular substitute for wood due to it’s MUCH faster growth rate, comparable tensile strength, and similar look and feel once refined. It needs significantly less water and nutrients, which makes it a far more sustainable alternative to wood in many of the same applications! Bamboo is even being used in some textile applications- but is apparently far more useful and less prickly than vegetable flannel a la episode 13.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Bamboo is said to be cooling, calming, and phlegm-resolving. It was used to treat things like lung issues, stomach problems, and improper energy flow.
These benefits are mostly believed to come from the leaves of the plant, which is why we have been focusing more there in our modern research. Today we know that bamboo leaves have antioxidant, anti inflammatory, and cardio protective elements. We are currently studying this for applications in the treatment of leukemia, diabetes, and in easing labor and delivery pains for those giving birth!
In addition to all these medical applications, bamboo can also be an important ally in sustainability efforts.
One thing to note here is that bamboo can be EXTREMELY invasive- especially in areas with plenty of rainfall, so it has to be extremely carefully managed and monitored. While it is a popular choice in landscaping as a privacy screen, it often comes at the risk and endangerment of native ecosystems, which simply cannot outcompete bamboo.
However, when planted and maintained appropriately, bamboo is an excellent substitution for lumber, saving us tons of water and other resources, while also helping to protect our ever-shrinking forests.
Overall, bamboo is a fascinating and vitally important plant in our history, and our future. There are so many interesting stories, applications, and facts to share that I couldn’t possibly touch on them all, but maybe someday we will revisit this grassy guy!
In the meantime, I hope you can appreciate all that bamboo has brought to us and continues to offer! It is certainly something we have leaned on for centuries (sometimes LITERALLY) and for that- I think it deserves a head kiss…however- that neighbor you know is planning to use it as a WAY over the top privacy screen- feel free to give them a side eye, or maybe even a deeply disappointed thumbs down, while also offering up some better options for your area!
As always, thank you so much for listening and taking the time to learn a little more about a plant you might just see every day! I’ll catch you next week with even more plant facts and folklore.
Sources
https://bambubatu.com/bamboo-symbolism/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter
https://bonneebamboo.com/blog/bamboo-folklore-/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/origin-bamboo-a-chinese-folklore-andre-zhang/
https://lewisbamboo.com/pages/how-bamboo-grows
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo
