Bamboo at Kew

The Giant Bamboo at Kew looks like Asparagus to me. They’re both monocotyledonous plants, which means they’ve only got one leaf in their seeds. Plants like grasses and lilies are monocots, as are rice, wheat and maize. It’s incredibly fast growing and can grow 91cm in a day.

The stalks of Bamboo are referred to as culms by botanists. It’s from the Latin word culmus, which means peak or highest point. It’s the same origin as culmination.

Anyway, the culmination of all this fast growth will be a culm of 46 metres height. No wonder they have to keep chopping it down.