Growing Lucky Bamboo

If you want to steal a garden idea from feng-shui masters, lucky bamboo may be the answer.

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana, also called Dracaena braunii) actually isn’t bamboo at all. It’s a Dracaena from tropical western Africa with red roots, pointed leaves, and hollow green stems, often curled into shapes. For positive energy, place it in the southwest corner of your space. When selecting your plant, consider the number of stalks: some say that five will attract wealth, seven health, and two will promote love.

If you are someone who hopes for peace, prosperity, longevity, luck, beauty, good energy, or graciousness (and most of us probably fall into at least one of those categories), adding this plant to your home may help. It’s also a fuss-free houseplant that requires virtually no care.

Lucky bamboo does well in sunny (but not too bright) windows. 

Planting

• When considering a container for your lucky bamboo, stick to glass: Translucent containers prevent excessive algae growth in the pebbles, and allow the full stalks to be seen.
• According to the tenets of feng shui, it’s important to place your plant in exactly the right spot. For example, for positive energy, choose the Southeast corner; to signify family, place three lucky bamboo stalks in the eastern portion of your home.
• To encourage lucky bamboo to curl, try rotating the plant slightly every once in a while. The stalk will grow towards the light, resulting in different growth directions.

Care

• Lucky bamboo grows best in pebbles or small stones, not dirt, to keep it upright, and at least an inch of water. Distilled or bottled water, rather than tap, is ideal.
• Keep your bamboo in a warm, sunny place, ideally one that stays between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A not-too-bright windowsill is ideal.
• Bamboo grows quickly; prune excessive growth to keep it trim.
• Set on a windowsill with other houseplants (like bonsai), lucky bamboo creates a calming vignette.

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