When most people think of Florida, they might think of palm trees, the ocean and citrus. But a new potential crop is growing in popularity for both commercial and recreational plant growers: bamboo.
Citrus farmers in South Florida have been struggling with greening, which is a disease that infects citrus trees and degrades and harms the fruit which slowly kills the tree, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“A lot of these growers don’t have anything else to turn to. I mean farming’s been their life, and so they’re looking for alternative crops that can be grown and can be profitable,” said Michael Rogers, center director and professor at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Education Center in Lake Alfred…