Lucky Bamboo

by Rebecca Kilzer

small bamboo

Lucky Bamboo, also known as Dracaena, has been an Asian symbol of good fortune and prosperity for thousands of years. Only recently has it made its way across the Pacific Ocean into the homes and offices of Westerners. As Asian culture is continually becoming more popular in the West in the form of martial arts, yoga, tai chi, and feng shui, the symbolism of Lucky Bamboo has also found an increasingly larger place in Western culture and has transformed homes and offices into spaces of security and energy.

Lucky Bamboo Facts:

Lucky Bamboo originated in Southeast Asia.
It has been used for 5,000 years in the practice of Feng Shui.
Lucky Bamboo is said to bring health, love, and luck to whoever possesses it.
The leaves of this plant can grow up to one inch per month.

Growing Lucky Bamboo:

The Lucky Bamboo plant has naked branches that end in tufts of long, thin leaves. As the plant ages, the growing leaves eventually develop into the plant stalk. For this reason, once the stalk is cut, it will no longer grow taller. As the stalk develops, the plant can be manipulated by wires to take on commonly-seen twisting, bending shapes. Leaves that have developed into a stalk can be clipped at its base and placed in distilled water to start more bamboo. The "parent" stalk then grows more leaf sprouts and continues this cycle.

Tips for Caring for Lucky Bamboo:

Lucky Bamboo is a very low-maintainance plant. It can make a great office or house plant, as it prefers an indoor, low-light environment away from direct sunlight. Lucky Bamboo does not need soil or fertilizer to grow. In fact, it will be just fine in distilled or purified water. Simply place the plant in about one inch of distilled or purified water. Because Lucky Bamboo is a long-lived plant, even bottled water can create a build-up of salt or minerals in the plant container which can be harmful to the Bamboo.

So, to best enjoy this wonderful plant, simply place the Lucky Bamboo in one inch of distilled or purified water, set it in a corner of your home or office, and enjoy the good fortune, prosperity and positive energy it has to offer!

Links:

NDSU
"No Bamboozle"
www.lucky-bamboo.com

TLC