Top 10 Fastest Growing Bamboo Trees (With Photos)

Did you know that bamboo stands as one of the fastest-growing plants in existence? According to the Guinness Book of World Records; certain species of bamboo abound that are capable of growing at the rate of a meter per day.

Although the statement did not contain the specific specie this was, we, however, did the rest of the job for you.

It is important to let you know though, that this plant’s fast pace of growth is dependent on the right conditions of growth which includes, the fast-growing species, planted in the right soil, and under the right climate conditions. 

In this article, we will talk about some of the fastest growing bamboo plants you can grow in your garden!

Fastest Growing Bamboo

Under the right conditions of growth which is; a well-drained and moist soil, sufficient supply of sunlight (about 6 hours per day to be precise), and grown in a sunny region, bamboo plants will record sporadic growth like nothing you have ever seen.

Bamboo plants are naturally, rapid-growing plants, but some are fast growing than others. The fastest-growing bamboo plants belong to the Phyllostachys and Bambusa Genera.

Let us acquaint ourselves with some of them below:

1. Phyllostachys Viridis

If you want this specie of bamboo to grow up to its full potential, then you should have it grown under the right climate for it. The right climate for it is warm. 

This specie will be sure to grow as tall as 35ft under a warm climate bearing culms that are about 7cm in diameter.

2. Silverstripe bamboo

Silverstripe bamboo is named after the white stripes that can be found on its leaves. The same stripes will sometimes be seen on the culms once in a while.

They are clumping bamboo belonging to the Bambusa cultivars.

Silverstripe bamboos are fast-growing plant. They are capable of attaining an overall mature growth of 8m although, they are bound to grow at most, an inch in diameter.

3. Green stripe Vivax bamboo (Phyllostachys Vivax)

We present to you the Green stripe Vivax bamboo with a mind-blowing height size of 45 feet.

This timber bamboo is not as common as others, but it ranks high on the list of most beautiful bamboo plants.

Their yellow-colored canes are marked with beautiful green stripes with extremely large leaves.

4. Red Margin Bamboo

The red-margin bamboo specie is a very common one. Its popularity stems from the fact that they are usually recommended to those who intend to use bamboo as privacy screens in their homes.

Red margin is categorized as a fast-growing bamboo it grows sporadically in height and horizontally also. 

Under the right conditions, they can grow as tall as 60ft.

Red margin has underground rhizomes that are fast spreading with tendencies to be invasive, but the good thing is that you can very well control the spread.

5. Golden Bamboo

You might know the Golden Bamboo by the name ‘Fishing pole bamboo,’ but that name is derived from its physical attributes. 

The bamboo specie is Phyllostachys Aurea. As you must have rightly deduced, the nickname ‘Fish pole bamboo’ was given to it because of its impressive height of about 35 feet, making them a preferred choice for use as a privacy screen.

Golden bamboos initially spot a light green color but will turn golden when exposed to sufficient sunlight.

If left to grow without being trimmed, they would equally become as dense as they are tall.

6. Moso Bamboo

The unique selling point of Moso bamboo is that it can amass a growth rate of 10 feet in 3 weeks or even less.

They not only grow in height, but they become even more fleshy too.

Moso bamboo is commonly referred to as timber bamboo. They are often used in the production of furniture, flooring, plywood, and even cooking.

Its multi-purpose nature makes it a must-grow in your space.

7. Seabreeze Bamboo ‘Bambusa malingensis’ 

This is a typical example of clumping, fast-growing bamboo. They can serve as privacy screens in your yard effectively well due to their capability to grow over 35ft tall.

This native southern China plant has blue-white canes with a two-and-a-half diameter.

The fullness of its beauty is revealed when the plant attains full maturity.

At that point, it develops into a shape that looks just like an umbrella and makes interesting bamboo sounds in the breeze.

Another advantage the sea breeze bamboo has is that they are quite hardy tolerating both drought and salt.

8. Oldhamii Bamboo

Fancy a fast-growing bamboo plant? How does a bamboo plant that is capable of attaining a height size of 55ft sound?

Not only does this clumping bamboo increase in height, but their culms also get as large as 5 in diameter.

The oldhamii, also known as the Giant Timber bamboo, spots new deep green culms with silver powder when grown under shade and orange in sunny conditions.

The plant can thrive even under most unpleasant climate conditions plus they make great hedge plants and privacy screens.

9. Black Asper ‘Dendrocalamus asper Hitam

Presenting to you one of the greatest of them all – The Black Asper with an impressive height range of about 80 – 100 ft crowning it as one with the fastest growing rate of bamboo.

Its culms are black or sometimes, brown and about 10 inches in diameter.

Black Aspers are humidity-loving plants, the same way they love warmth too, but they are still hardy enough to tolerate cold even to about 27°F. 

They are prized for their bamboo shoots which are edible and sweet and the timber they produce.

10. Dragon Bamboo (Dendrocalamus sinicus)

We wrap up our list with this enormous clumping bamboo. They are a native plant of the Chinese, the Yunnan region to be specific and Laos.

With culms as wide as 14.5 inches and walls as thick as 2.3 inches, crowning it with a height of 151 feet, the dragon bamboo has rightfully earned its place as the largest specie of dragon in the world. 

When Is The Best Time To Plant Bamboo?

Everything from when you plant the bamboo to how it is being planted and the kind of growing conditions it is being subjected to counts. It is very crucial to the future well-being of the plant.

If you have done your homework well before going ahead to have these plants grown, you must have realized that the best planting time is just before spring.

As such, anytime from March to June at most is perfect to have them planted.

This gives the plant enough time to be adequately established to glide through its development stages without hitches.

There is a tiny exception though. You can have bamboo planted in summer but must ensure that it is a well-rooted one and see to the fact that it is consistently watered all through the warm summer months.

If the climate is mild in your region, you can also plant bamboo whenever you want as long as you can guarantee sufficient water and sunlight for it.

Facts About Bamboo That You Should Know

Below is a compilation of facts about the bamboo plant

• It would take 1 – 4 years for a bamboo stem to develop into a wood-like material as we all know it.
• The bigger the stem of bamboo, the longer it will take to attain maturity.
• Even though they grow taller than a tree, bamboo is not a tree.

What they are, is a group of plants belonging to the Grass family.

• Dendrocalamus sinicus is the largest specie of bamboo in the world. They can get as high as 46m and 37m in diameter. 
• How many types of bamboo do we have and what are their uses?

There are over a thousand types of bamboo plant all with varying colors and height.

They can be used as privacy screens and can serve as both outdoor and indoor plants.

Bamboo are also eco-friendly plants. They are highly renewable and resourcefully used in furniture making, food and lots more.

Conclusion

The first thing that comes to your mind when the talk of fastest growing plants is tabled should be bamboo plants. The position they hold as the fastest-growing plant is unquestionable. 

Asides from that, they are known to have some other valuable qualities. They are very tough and are quite tolerant of less-than-ideal soil types. You need a low-maintenance plant, that can grow without too much care and attention, the bamboo plant is what you need.

You need a plant that you can use as a natural privacy screen to obstruct the line of vision of your neighbors, the bamboo plant will do that effectively well plus, it will be sure to grow super fast to start serving the purpose.

There is a record of a bamboo plant found in the tropics having a height size of roughly about 130ft. The tallest bamboo plant in US and Europe are between the range of 60 – 98ft.

Impressive, right?

Yeah, we thought so too.