Bamboo Species of

The Caribbean and West Indies

4 genera, 36 species

The native bamboo species in the Caribbean and West Indies are confined to small-sized
bamboos less than 1 cm in diameter. Because of this, they do not have any economic value.
However, Asiatic species have entered conspicuously into the local economy on some
islands.

At present, the Caribbean and West Indies are known to have 4 genera and 36 species of
native woody bamboos, with the richest bamboo diversity being in Cuba. Like Chile, the
Caribbean the West Indies islands also do not have any natural distribution of the genus
Guadua.

Bambusa vulgaris is perhaps the most widely cultivated exotic species in the Caribbean
region. It is most abundant in the islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Puerto
Rico, where it has become an important wood source for multiple uses.

The Caribbean not only initiated the industrialization of bamboo in the region, with a small
mill located in near St. Augustine in Trinidad, but also initiated the introduction and
cultivation of exotic and useful bamboos from the Old World.

The Tropical Agricultural Research Station (TARS) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, began the
introduction and cultivation of bamboo at the time of its foundation in 1901, and continues
to the present day. The 1930s and 1940s were perhaps the most active period at TARS with
respect to the development of bamboo. During this time, bamboo species from the
collection were widely distributed in Puerto Rico and other parts of the Caribbean as well as
in several countries of Latin America.

The species Guadua angustifolia has been introduced to several Caribbean islands. Besides
Puerto Rico, it is cultivated also in the Botanical Garden of Cienfuegos, Cuba, and it is
probable that the species has been introduced to the Dominic Republic and Jamaica.

Native woody bamboo species of the Caribbean and West Indies:

 Arthrostylidium angustifolium
 Arthrostylidium banaoense
 Arthrostylidium cubense
 Arthrostylidium distichum
 Arthrostylidium ekmanii
 Arthrostylidium excelsum
 Arthrostylidium farctum
 Arthrostylidium fimbriatum
 Arthrostylidium haitiense
 Arthrostylidium multispicatum

 Arthrostylidium obtusatum
  Arthrostylidium pinicolium
 Arthrostylidium reflexum
 Arthrostylidium sarmentosum
 Arthrostylidium urbanii
 Arthrostylidium venezuelae
 Chusquea abietifolia
 Neurolepis virgata
 Rhipidocladum prestoei

Bamboo Yield

Again, every bamboo species grows different, but in case of Guadua, the expected yield
from a 1 hectare bamboo plantation in the first 10 years is shown in the table below
(based on an optimal planting density of 400 plants per hectare):

Year Mature Culms per Ha per Year

5 1200

6 1440

7 1800

8 2400

9 3000

10 3360

What can I earn with a Bamboo Plantation?

If we take the above numbers into consideration and know that Guadua angustifolia grows
by average 25 meters tall, than we come to the following conclusions:

If a bamboo stem is 25 meters, and we’ll discard the top and bottom part, then we end up
with about 15 meters of usable bamboo poles (this is very conservative, but just for the
sake of putting up some realistic numbers).

In Costa Rica, green Guadua bamboo stems are sold at the plantation (harvested, but not
cured or dried) at approximately 1$ per lineal meter. In other words 1 entire stem is
worth 15$, if we don’t count the “waist” (which could be used for pulp, charcoal etc.).

Harvesting the first yield of 1200 culms in year 5 equals out in a gross profit of 18.000$ per
hectare, in year 6 you can again harvest another 1440 stems which generates 21.600$, in
year seven the annual yield is worth 27.000$, etc.
In conclusion, 1 hectare of newly planted Guadua bamboo generates a gross profit of
198.000$ in its first 10 years. Not bad huh? Now you know where the term “green gold”
comes from.

Of course in order to be competitive on the international market 1$ per lineal meter is not
a realistic price point for untreated bamboo, especially if your role is to supply the raw
material to a local production facility of value added bamboo products. Still even at 5$ per
culm, the return would be very high for an agricultural crop.