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Not to be confused with Sugar Cane, which was colloquially known as Bamboo.

Bamboo is a plant found in jungles, and can be used as fuel for smelting or cooking, or to breed pandas, and craft scaffolding, or sticks. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in Minecraft.

Obtaining

Bamboo can be mined with any tool, but the fastest tool to break them is a sword or an axe. In Java Edition, a sword breaks bamboo almost instantly, and in Bedrock Edition, a sword breaks bamboo faster than an axe, though not instantly.

Block Bamboo
Hardness 1
Tool
Breaking time[A]
Default 1.5
Wooden 0.75
Stone 0.4
Iron 0.25
Diamond 0.2
Netherite 0.2
Golden 0.15
Sword 0.05
  1. Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.


Bamboo shoots cannot be obtained through vanilla means. In Bedrock Edition, they can be obtained through add-ons or inventory editing. In Java Edition, they are completely unobtainable.

Natural generation

Bamboo generates in widely scattered single shoots within jungle biomes. Bamboo generates much more densely in the bamboo variants of jungles, covering large areas of the landscape.

Mob loot

In Java Edition, a panda drops 1 bamboo when killed. In Bedrock Edition, a panda drops 0-2 bamboo when killed. Looting increases the drop by 1 per level.

Fishing

Bamboo can be found while fishing in jungle biomes as a junk item.

Chest loot

Item Structure Container Quantity Chance
Java Edition
Bamboo Jungle temple Chest 1–3 51%
Shipwreck Supply chest 1–3 14.4%
Bedrock Edition
Bamboo Jungle temple Chest 1–3 50.9%
Shipwreck Supply chest 1–3 14.4%

Usage

When broken, any bamboo block placed or grown above it is also broken. A bamboo block drops itself as an item if a piston pushes it or moves a block into its space. When bamboo is first placed as a shoot it's not solid and can be destroyed by water flowing into it. After growing at least one block taller it transforms into another kind of bamboo block that is solid and can't be destroyed by water. To transform a bamboo shoot into a solid bamboo block place another bamboo on top of it.

Farming

Bamboo can be planted on grass blocks, dirt, coarse dirt, rooted dirt, gravel, mycelium, podzol, sand, or red sand. At default random tick speed (3), each plant grows on average every 4096 game ticks (204.8 seconds). When bone meal is used on it, it grows by 1–2 blocks. Bamboo can grow up to 12–16 blocks tall. The top of a bamboo plant requires a light level of 9 or above to grow.

Since bamboo breaks in almost the same way as sugar canes, a sugar cane farm can be easily adapted to this use. While water is not needed with such a farm, some spacing is recommended if the harvest is done manually as mature stalks are solid.

Pandas

Bamboo items are eaten by pandas and can be used to speed up the growth of baby pandas. Bamboo can also be used to breed pandas when at least 8 blocks of bamboo are within 5 blocks of the pandas, making the panda the only animal in the game to have extra breeding requirements. At this point, the player can feed them bamboo and they mate to have a baby.

Fuel

Bamboo can be used as fuel in furnaces. Each bamboo item smelts 0.25 items. Crafting two bamboo into a stick and using that as fuel is equivalent, smelting 0.5 items. With the addition of string, it is more efficient to craft six bamboo into scaffolding, which can smelt 12 items in Java Edition or 36 items in Bedrock Edition, instead of 1.5 items from the original six bamboo.

Flower pots

Bamboo can be placed in a flower pot, where it retains the design it has in its item form.

Crafting ingredient

Name Ingredients Crafting recipe Description
Block of Bamboo Bamboo

Cannot be crafted back into 9 bamboo.
Scaffolding Bamboo +
String
Stick Bamboo

Appearance

Bamboo stages

The different stages of bamboo growth.

The appearance of bamboo changes as it grows. When first placed, it takes the form of a small shoot. When it grows one block taller it grows to 2 pixels in length and width and the top block has leaves coming off it. At 3 blocks, the top 2 blocks have leaves and at 4 blocks the bamboo expands to 3×3 pixels. At 5 blocks tall, the top 3 blocks have leaves on them. As the bamboo grows, the leaves move up and stay at the top 3 blocks. Destroying a block of bamboo does not change the appearance of the blocks below it. Bamboo is oriented at a random position in the block that it is in. Bamboo, grass, sweet berry bushes, and ferns are the only plants that change their hit boxes as they grow.

Sounds

Bamboo

Java Edition:

SoundSubtitlesSourceDescriptionResource locationTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
Block brokenBlocksOnce the block has brokenblock.bamboo.breaksubtitles.block.generic.break0.80.816
Block placedBlocksWhen the block is placedblock.bamboo.placesubtitles.block.generic.place0.80.816
Block breakingBlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenblock.bamboo.hitsubtitles.block.generic.hit0.250.516
None[sound 1]Entity-DependentFalling on the block with fall damageblock.bamboo.fallNone[sound 1]0.50.7516
FootstepsEntity-DependentWalking on the blockblock.bamboo.stepsubtitles.block.generic.footsteps0.15varies [sound 2]16
  1. a b MC-177082
  2. 1.0 for all except step2 and step4, which are 0.7

Bedrock Edition:

SoundSourceDescriptionResource locationVolumePitch
BlocksOnce the block has brokenblock.bamboo.break0.80.8-1.0
BlocksWhen the block is placedblock.bamboo.place0.80.8-1.0
BlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenblock.bamboo.hit0.250.5
BlocksFalling on the block with fall damageblock.bamboo.fall0.41.0
BlocksWalking on the blockblock.bamboo.step0.3varies[sound 1]
PlayersJumping from the blockjump.wood0.151.0
BlocksFalling on the block without fall damageblock.bamboo.fall0.21.0
  1. 1.0 for all except step2 and step4, which are 0.7

Bamboo Shoot

Java Edition:

SoundSubtitlesSourceDescriptionResource locationTranslation keyVolumePitchAttenuation
distance
Block brokenBlocksOnce the block has brokenblock.bamboo_sapling.breaksubtitles.block.generic.break0.90.816
Block placedBlocksWhen the block is placedblock.bamboo_sapling.placesubtitles.block.generic.place0.850.816
Block breakingBlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenblock.bamboo_sapling.hitsubtitles.block.generic.hit0.20.516
None[sound 1]Entity-DependentFalling on the block with fall damageblock.bamboo.fallNone[sound 1]0.50.7516
FootstepsEntity-DependentWalking on the blockblock.bamboo.stepsubtitles.block.generic.footsteps0.15varies [sound 2]16
  1. a b MC-177082
  2. 1.0 for all except step2 and step4, which are 0.7

Bedrock Edition:

SoundSourceDescriptionResource locationVolumePitch
BlocksOnce the block has brokenblock.bamboo_sapling.break0.90.8-1.0
BlocksWhen the block is placedblock.bamboo_sapling.place0.850.8-1.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

NameIdentifierFormBlock tags (JE)Translation key
BamboobambooBlock & Itembamboo_plantable_onblock.minecraft.bamboo
Bamboo Shootbamboo_saplingBlockbamboo_plantable_onblock.minecraft.bamboo_sapling

Bedrock Edition:

NameIdentifierNumeric ID FormTranslation key
Bamboobamboo418Block & Giveable Item[i 1]tile.bamboo.name
Bamboo Saplingbamboo_sapling419Block & Ungiveable Item[i 2]tile.bamboo_sapling.name
  1. Available with /give command.
  2. Unavailable with /give command

Metadata

See also: Data values

In Bedrock Edition, bamboo uses the following data values:

Bamboo shoot:

DV Description
0 Newly planted bamboo shoot
1 Bamboo shoot that may grow into bamboo

Bamboo:

DV Description
0 Thin leafless bamboo
1 Thick leafless bamboo
2 Thin small-leaved bamboo
3 Thick small-leaved bamboo
4 Thin big-leaved bamboo
5 Thick big-leaved bamboo


Block states

See also: Block states

Java Edition:
Bamboo

Name Default value Allowed values Description
age00
1
The age of the bamboo, if this is 1 the bamboo appears thicker.
leavesnonelarge
none
small
The size of the leaves on this bamboo block.
stage00
1
The stage is incremented at random intervals.
At stage 1, bamboo may try to grow more bamboo above it.

Bedrock Edition:
Bamboo:

NameMetadata Bits Default value Allowed valuesValues for
Metadata Bits
Description
age_bit0x8falsefalse
true
0
1
The stage is incremented at random intervals.
When true, bamboo may try to grow more bamboo above it.
bamboo_leaf_size0x2
0x4
no_leavesno_leaves
small_leaves
large_leaves
0
1
2
The size of the leaves on this bamboo block.
bamboo_stalk_thickness0x1thinthin
thick
0
1
The thickness of the bamboo, if this is thick the bamboo appears thicker.

Bamboo Sapling:

NameMetadata Bits Default value Allowed valuesValues for
Metadata Bits
Description
age_bit0x1falsefalse
true
0
1
Specifies the sapling's growth stage.
sapling_typeNot Supportedoakacacia
birch
dark_oak
jungle
oak
spruce
UnsupportedUnused.

Achievements

Icon Achievement In-game description Actual requirements (if different) Gamerscore earned Trophy type (PS4)
PS4 Other
ZoologistBreed two pandas with bamboo.40GGold

History

September 29, 2018Bamboo is announced at MINECON Earth 2018.
Java Edition
1.1418w43aLeafless Bamboo JE1 BE2Small Leaves Bamboo JE1 BE2Big Leaves Bamboo JE1 BE2Leafless Old Bamboo JE1 BE2Small Leaves Old Bamboo JE1 BE2Big Leaves Old Bamboo JE1 BE2 Bamboo Shoot JE1 BE1 Added bamboo.
Bamboo (item) JE1 BE1 Bamboo as an item can be dropped by bamboo and planted to grow bamboo.
Added bamboo jungles, where bamboo naturally generates.
1.1620w06a"Bamboo Sapling" has been renamed to "Bamboo Shoot".
Bedrock Edition
1.8.0beta 1.8.0.8Leafless Bamboo BE1Small Leaves Bamboo BE1Big Leaves Bamboo BE1Leafless Old Bamboo BE1Small Leaves Old Bamboo BE1Big Leaves Old Bamboo BE1 Bamboo Shoot JE1 BE1 Added bamboo.
Bamboo (item) JE1 BE1 Bamboo as an item can be dropped by bamboo and planted to grow bamboo.
1.9.0beta 1.9.0.0Bamboo can now generate in jungle biomes in single shoots.
Added bamboo jungles, where bamboo naturally generates.
1.12.0beta 1.12.0.3Leafless Bamboo JE1 BE2Small Leaves Bamboo JE1 BE2Big Leaves Bamboo JE1 BE2Leafless Old Bamboo JE1 BE2Small Leaves Old Bamboo JE1 BE2Big Leaves Old Bamboo JE1 BE2 The bamboo texture brightness has been updated to match Java Edition.[1]
Legacy Console Edition
1.83 Leafless Bamboo JE1 BE2Small Leaves Bamboo JE1 BE2Big Leaves Bamboo JE1 BE2Leafless Old Bamboo JE1 BE2Small Leaves Old Bamboo JE1 BE2Big Leaves Old Bamboo JE1 BE2 Bamboo Shoot JE1 BE1 Added bamboo.
Bamboo (item) JE1 BE1 Bamboo as an item can be dropped by bamboo and planted to grow bamboo.

Issues

Issues relating to "Bamboo" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

  • Because bamboo grows quickly (on average 1 growth per 200 seconds), just 500 plants in an automatic farm produce more items than a hopper can collect (2.5 items per second). A single hopper can move only enough items to keep 6.25 furnaces running.
  • Bamboo is one of the few plants that cannot be processed by a composter, along with poisonous potatoes, chorus fruit, and dead bushes.
  • Flowing water breaks bamboo shoots but is blocked by mature bamboo stalks.
  • Like in Minecraft, bamboo is the fastest-growing plant known in real life.

Gallery

References

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