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bamboos

 In l908, Houzeau de Lehaie, bamboo specialist, wrote : "He who hasn't lived in the Tropics can hardly imagine the majesty of the bamboo forests".
Bamboo belongs to the graminae family, which includes all the common food grains such as wheat, oats and maize. They hold the undisputed record for speed of growth. It takes a bamboo culm approximately two months to grow, and young shoots growing one meter within 24 hours are no rarity. A patient observer may even watch them grow as he would watch the big hand of a clock!
After this initial period, which is a very short part of its total life, bamboo stops growing. Its wood becomes harder and can be cut after a minimum of four years.
This whole process, however, takes time. The Park is a work in progress. Most of the bamboos you see here are giant bamboos. Each year their size increases. This experiment continues a horticultural tradition which has already given Glengarriff an international reputation.
The Bamboo Park will now add to its treasures.

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