What is Rattan and What is it Used For

Rattan is used to make furniture in the same way wood is used; all you need to do is cut it into sections.

Rattan is a plant that is native to Africa, Asia, and Australasia, the term referring to over 600 species of palms from the Calameae family. The Malay name for rattan is rotan. Although many off us think of the straight, tall palm trees in Southern California when we hear the word palm, these palms are more like vines, with slender stems 2-5 cm diameter with long internodes between the leaves. The vines twist in and out of other plants as they grow. Rattan has some similarities to bamboo, with the main differences being that rattan is solid while bamboo is hollow, and rattan needs the support of other plants to grow while bamboo grows on its own. There are some types of rattan that are similar to traditional palms, such as Raphia and Pigafetta. There may also be spines on many rattan plants, which serve to deter plant eating animals as well as help them hook onto other plants for support.

You often see rattan used for the construction of baskets and furniture. This plant actually helps to maintain forests, as you can harvest this profitable crop without disturbing the trees it grows on. It is hard to tell, however, if people will find it more profitable than chopping down the trees at the moment.

Rattan is used to make furniture in the same way wood is used; all you need to do is cut it into sections. Rattan can be configured into a wide variety of styles, and stains and paints wonderfully to give you a wide selection of colors. Rattan is very strong, as can be seen in its use as staves or canes in various martial arts disciplines. Wicker can be created by separating the inner core of the material.

 

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