Bamboo house plant (Bambusa vulgaris): health benefits & maintenance

Bamboo Plant health benefits and maintainance

Bamboo plant

The bamboo plant is large woody grass scientifically known as Bambuseae. The plant bamboo is a versatile plant and also can be grown under wide conditions. The adapting capacity of bamboo is very large therefore it can survive under a huge range of soil conditions and temperature and water availability. Bambuseae have around 1200 different types of species but only a few can be grown as a bamboo house plant.

Just like its adapting nature, this plant is also used for a wide range of human activities like these plants can be used for making furniture, for fencing, pulp, paper, flooring, roofing, as a medicinal plant, in some parts of the world young shoots of this plants, are eaten in the form of vegetable and soups. Therefore, in short, we can say that bamboo is a multipurpose plant.

An important point to be noted: Lucky Bamboo is not a bamboo

In this article, we are specifically talking about bamboo plants, not a lucky bamboo plant. Besides the name, there is no similarity between a bamboo plant and a lucky bamboo plant. Both are of a completely different family. Bamboo plants are of the Poaceae family whereas lucky bamboo is of the Asparagaceae family.

Bamboo house plant

The bamboo plant is a beautiful monocot of the grass family. Some species of this plant can be grown inside the house and many are grown as a garden plant or in balconies thus adds to a natural feel. There are many different ways in which we can decorate a bamboo plant and thus adds an amazing aesthetic sense to the indoor environment. Maintenance of bamboo plant is easy requires adequate 5 to 6 hrs of sunlight and water with fertilization twice in a year.

How to maintain a bamboo plant

1. Soil condition

Normally all types of soil are suitable for the bamboo but aerated, well rich in humus soil with slight acidic (pH around 6.5) is ideal for its growth.

2. Irrigation

Yes, proper irrigation is very necessary for the plant. The soil should be well-drained so that the roots do not suffer from oxygen depletion.

3. Fertilizers

Normal fertilizers that are used for other grass families will be enough for the healthy growth of a bamboo plant. In general fertilizers with high nitrogen provide a good growth of the plant.

Benefits of Bamboo

1. Decorative

Bamboo plants give a good nice tropical rainforest look to our garden, indoor balcony, or room.

2. Bamboo shoots

Young bamboo shoots that emerge from the mother plant are used as food in many Asian countries. These shoots are low in calorie, sugar and high in protein, therefore, helps in weight loss, checks the cholesterol level of the body.

3. Fencing

Bamboo can be used for fencing plot and outside garden area to protect it against animals. Bamboo fencing also looks good natural as it is one step closer to nature.

4. Rejuvenates soil

Bamboo leaves provide excellent mulch to the soil and thus make the soil more fertile and humus-rich for other plants.

Medicinal benefits of Bamboo

1. Exfoliant

The bamboo powder acts as a cleanser and scrub. The natural powder of bamboo thus is safe and causes no side effect to the sensitive skin (1)

2. Antipyretic

The leaves and stems of the bamboo plant are considered antipyretic that helps in the reduction of body temperature during fever.

3. Sedative

Juice of the stem has the ability to fight against bronchial and cerebral infection. Along with this bamboo juice also have sedative property.

4. Healthy lungs

The sap of the stem is useful against all kinds of lung infections like lung inflammation and phlegm. The sap is also effective against cough and mucus in children.

5. Antidiabetic

Bamboo salt, bamboo vinegar and bamboo extract which are prepared by using bamboo shoots have the ability to control the cholesterol and sugar level of the body. Therefore are pharmaceutically used against diabetes (2).