Lucky Bamboo: Good Luck and Easy to Care Plant – Details and Care Tips
Lucky Bamboo is a perfect Feng Shui plant that brings good luck and prosperity to you. The stem of the plant can be trained to form a different shape which provides unique beauty to the plant. Plant is sold in different formations of multiple layers.
Different stalk of plants are associated with different significance. It is easy to grow in indoor conditions. It can be planted in water as well as in soil. It comes in various shapes and varieties. Different layers of the plant have different significance. It can make any corner of an office table or home lively by its lush green and variegated leaves.
Quick Details of Lucky Bamboo
| Other Common Names | Curly bamboo, Chinese water bamboo, Sander’s dracaena, ribbon dracaena, Goddess of Mercy’s plant, Belgian evergreen, and ribbon plant. |
| Type | Indoor / Shaded Area Plant |
| Maintenance | Medium |
| Flowering | Only in natural tropical habitat |
| Light | Low/Indirect Sun Light |
| Water | Medium if grown in soil. Do not let the soil completely dry and at the same time do not over water the plant as well. |
| Temperature | Medium. Can not survive in very cold and hot conditions both. |
| Soil | Well drainage soil if grown in soil |
| Fertilizer | Sea weed liquid solution |
| Habitat | Central Africa |
| Toxicity | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Common Diseases | Leaf Burn, Root and stem rotting, spider mites, scale & mealy bugs |
| Scientific name | Dracaena sanderiana |
Lucky Bamboo Buying Instructions
- Look for the roots if it is grown in water. Roots should be healthy. There should not be or very few rotten or black roots.
- Leaves should be fresh and there should not be any kind of pests on it.
- Even check for the stem or the plant. All the stems should be in good health.
- Glass or jar should not be broken
- Different number of stalks or the plant in the formation have difference significance so buy it accordingly.
- If you are buying to gift someone, remove the water before packing and ensure the plant gets water again with in couple of hours.
Overview of the Lucky Bamboo Plant
Lucky Bamboo comes from Chinese tradition having history for more than 4000 years. It is easy to grow indoor plants which can survive well in the indirect sunlight. Lucky Bamboo plants are gifted to each other at special occasions specially in Asian countries. Normally we have seen that the plant is tied by a red color ribbon. Red color ribbon represents the element fire and the bamboo represents the element of wood. In combination the plant represents the sense of balance and safety in life.
If you just go on the name you will feel that it’s a miniature bamboo plant, but it’s not. Actually it is a type of tropical water lily plant with the name as Dracaena Sanderiana. It comes in different variegation on leaves. Dracaena sanderiana is flowering species plant in the family Asparagaceae which is native to Central Africa. This plant was named on the name of well known German–English gardener Henry Frederick Conrad Sander.
Special about Lucky Bamboo
| Number of Stalks | Significance |
| 1 Stack | Unity and unobstructed flow of energy |
| 2 Stalks | Good luck in love makes it perfect valentine day gift |
| 3 Stalks | Continuous growth and associated to birth |
| 4 Stalk | Associated to death so avoid 4 stalk plant |
| 5 Stalks | Prosperity, longevity, luck and happiness |
| 6 Stalks | Opportunity and luck in business |
| 7 Stalks | Personal growth and healthy life |
| 8 Stalks | Blessings and energy |
| 9 Stalks | Success |
| 10 Stalks | Perfection |
| 21 Stalks | Harmony and success |
General Care for Lucky Bamboo
Soil: Normally Lucky Bamboo plants are not grown in soil for indoor use. But still you can grow these plants in soil. Soil should have well drainage property and water should not stand on the soil at all.
Water: If grown in soil do not let the soil completely dry. Event do not over water the plant. Over watering can cause root rotting. If plant is grown in water change the water in every 8 to 10 days. Use RO water if possible or make sure water is not having too much chlorine in it. Roots of the plats should be submerged in water.
Sunlight: Too much bright light can burn the leaves. The plant grows best in indoor conditions under the indirect sunlight.
Temperature: Best suitable temperature for the Lucky Bamboo is 18 to 35 degree celsius. Do not keep the Lucky Bamboo plant in very hot or in very cold conditions such as in front of furnace or AC.
Fertilization: Normally fertilization is not required but liquid fertilizers such as sea weed solution will be helpful in Lucky bamboo growth.
Pests and Other Problems in Lucky Bamboo
Root and Stem Rotting: This happens because of over watering in case of plant is grown in soil or because of not changing water for long time if grown in water. Change the water in every 8-10 days. If your plant already got root or stem rotting then remove the rotten roots or stem and plant it again.
Leaf Burn: This can happen because of excess amount of light. Remove the burned leafs and place the plant in indirect sunlight.
Yellow Leaves: Remove the yellow leaves so that it is not spreading further.
Spider mites, scale & mealy bugs: Wash the plant properly in running water and if you do not notice any benefit spray mild soap water on the pant thoroughly and wash is in running water.
Propagation of Lucky Bamboo
Identify the healthy plant and cut the bottom part of the plant which is having at least two segments. Pour liquid wax on the top of the bottom cut to eliminate the possibility of fungal infection. Now put lower part (not having wax) of the plant in water and shoots will come up in couple of weeks time. Upper portion you can again keep in water for further growth. Event you can put some rooting hormones in water for quick growth of roots.
