Bamboo Life Lessons

Bamboo is a plant often associated with the Philippines. There are creation myths and legends surrounding bamboo. It is an amazing plant, rightfully earning its place amidst Philippine literature. The bamboo also holds symbolic meaning for families.

Bamboo grows new shoots annually. This growth generally takes place during a certain period, for a couple of months during the year. The main shooting season varies with the species, of which there are over 1,000, depending also whether it is a tropical or temperate species and other factors..This is comparable to the thousands of islands of the Philippines, from which my family came.If one starts off with a small plant, the canes, called culms, are relatively small. All growth takes place over a period of a couple of months or so. After this, these culms do not get any larger in diameter or taller in height, and the only new growth these culms produce in following years are side branches and new leaves. Eventually these culms die, being replaced by new generations of culms. Filipino families start small, and with new generations, grow more and more.

Each following year, under good growing conditions, the bamboo planting will grow new shoots which will grow larger and taller. It can take over ten years for the bamboo plant to reach full maturity, in which the new culms produced for the season will grow to their largest height and diameter. Parents do their best to provide their family and friends good growing conditions, where they can grow and prosper.

One species, under ideal conditions, at its fastest growth stage, grew almost two inches per hour, or four feet per day. When a shoot emerges, its upward daily growth is slow, and gradually picks up speed. At mid height, its daily growth is the fastest, then it gradually decreases upward growth as it begins to reach its full height. This is the goal that we all need to have for family and friends.