The battle for bed linen supremacy may be taking a detour from the cotton field to the forest. Instead of pitting pima cotton against Egyptian cotton or lustrous sateen against no-iron percale, this latest skirmish for market share involves sheets and pillowcases made using fibers of bamboo plants and beech trees. To be sure, these relatively exotic fibers are still a small part of the market, and many people have never heard of them. But both fabrics are being explicitly pitched to eco-conscious consumers eager to believe that even small, personal gestures like what our sheets are made of can help the beleaguered planet. After years of limited exposure -- principally through catalogs and retailers promoting organic and "natural" products -- these linens now can be found on shelves in Target, Sam's Club and big-box bedding chains as well as in specialty boutiques and catalogs. "I think everyone in their heart wants to do a little something to make the world a little bit better," says Janet Partridge, spokeswoman for Garnet Hill, the bedding and fashion catalog operation that began selling a line of bamboo-cotton-blend linens in vivid colors last spring. Joseph Carena, publisher of the trade newsletter Home Textiles Today, agrees. "There has been a tremendous acceptance for cellulose-based fabrics like bamboo in apparel that has filtered its way into home textiles," he says. Bamboo, which is native to Asia, is a highly renewable grass; it can grow a foot or more in a day and reach heights of 80 or 90 feet. For centuries, it has been used to make everything from bridges, buildings and furniture to musical instruments, baskets and tableware. Beech trees, native to Europe, North America and parts of Asia, are slow growers, eventually reaching 50 or 60 feet. Today, however, some beech trees are being sustainably farmed specifically for their fiber. "It feels wonderful on your skin, the drape is fabulous," says Partridge, describing Garnet Hill's bamboo-cotton blend. At a time when a four-piece set o
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