Environmentally friendly products have sprouted everywhere, and the trend is unlikely to wilt anytime soon. Charleston-based Bamboosa is doing its part for mama Earth with a line of 100 percent bamboo clothing.

Incorporated in January, Bamboosa offers women's and men's apparel as well as baby products online.

But the online experience deprives potential customers of the bamboo clothing's sheer, silky softness, said Bamboosa partner Morris Saintsing. The company is seeking stores to distribute its products.

In a region where cotton used to be king, "Bamboo is a very up-and-coming fiber in the apparel industry," he said.

Saintsing said bamboo can survive droughts and floods -- unlike cotton -- and doesn't need pesticides and harmful chemicals to extract the fiber.

It seems Hollywood is catching on, too. Actress Renee Zellweger wore a bamboo twill dress by designer Carolina Herrera in her May wedding.

Bamboosa products are made in an Andrews, S.C., plant -- a bright bit of textile news in a region hit hard by offshoring and a flood of cheap apparel imports.

This fall, Saintsing said the company plans to introduce winter sportswear such as fleece and sweats. Contact www.bamboosa.com; (800) 673-8461.