‘Grassy Trees’: New Allies against Climate Change

Bamboo, Palms, Bananas Grow Fast, Boost Biodiversity

A bamboo forest. Cucaihn/Pixabay

Scientists have recently proposed that towering plants such as bamboo, palms, and bananas deserve a distinct place in climate-resilience thinking.

Although they look and act like trees, these species do not grow wider over time—their stems remain essentially the same diameter, and they instead add height, or branch differently. Because of that structural difference, researchers at New York University (NYU) now classify them as “grassy trees.”

In a new analysis published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, lead author Aiyu Zheng and senior author Mingzhen Lu outline how these grassy-tree systems combine the structural form of a tree canopy with the resilience and rapid growth of grasses.

Their hybrid nature gives them an important advantage: They can recover quickly after disturbances—fires, storms, harvesting—more so than typical trees. At the same time, they contribute meaningfully to carbon capture, biodiversity, landscape restoration, and local economies. “Their benefits stretch from food and jobs to renewable materials and green energy,” Zheng explains.

Good for Land Restoration, Carbon Capture

In their study, the NYU team compared 12 major ecosystem types (including, grasslands, savannas, grassy-tree systems, and tree-dominated forests) and found that the grassy-tree ecosystems generally showed higher productivity than grassland systems and carbon-storage capacity intermediate between forests and grasslands.

Because these plants are already integrated in many tropical and subtropical communities (for food, housing, and materials), they constitute a practical rather than a purely theoretical nature-based climate solution. In countries like India, for example, promotion of bamboo groves, palm stands, and banana agroforestry could speed land restoration, bolster carbon capture, and strengthen resilient livelihoods.

The classification of grassy trees opens a new vista in ecological planning and climate policy. By recognizing these species as a distinct category—rather than treating them simply as “trees” or “grasses”—researchers can now build models and strategies that properly include them. As the authors write, “Our study provides the first global overview of how much carbon grassy trees capture and store … they are abundant, practical, and deeply embedded in tropical cultures.”

Given rapid climate change, more frequent extreme weather, and the urgent need for scalable nature-based solutions, grassy trees may emerge as one of the unsung but powerful tools in the toolbox of sustainability. Encouraging their deployment, improving their management, and recognizing their dual identity (trees/grasses) could enhance restoration efforts, support rural economies, and contribute to a more resilient carbon future.