The fiber is one of the most valuable parts of the hemp plant. It is commonly called bast, which refers to the fibers which grow on the outside of the plant’s stalk. Bast fibers give the plants strength. Hemp fibers can be between approximately 0.91 m (3 ft) and 4.6 m (15 ft) long, running the length of the plant. Later the fibers may be cut to shorter lengths. Depending on the processing used to remove the fiber from the stem, the hemp may naturally be creamy white, brown, gray, black or green.
In Europe and China, hemp fibers have been used in prototype quantities to strengthen concrete, and in other composite materials for many construction and manufacturing applications. A mixture of fiberglass, hemp fiber, kenaf, and flax has been used to make composite panels for automobiles. The first identified coarse paper, made from hemp, dates to the early Western Han Dynasty.
Hemp shives or hurds are the core of the stem. In Europe, they are used for bedding (horse bedding for instance), or for horticultural mulch.
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