Dracaena sanderiana
Have you ever wondered about the bundles of bamboo stems you see for sale just about everywhere, from novelty stores to warehouse clubs?
They’re called “lucky bamboo,” and despite their ubiquitous presence, they are anything but common.
Lucky bamboo, Dracaena sanderiana, is widely cultivated as a houseplant that can grow in both water and soil.
The common name is also used for a different species, D. brauneii, which has denser foliage at its base.
The two types are often sold interchangeably, with D. sanderiana being most prevalent.
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The stems are jointed and resemble those of bamboo, but they are solid instead of hollow, and Dracaena species are not members of the Bambusoideae, or bamboo family.
Instead, they are in the Asparagaceae family that also includes agave, asparagus, and yucca.
In our guide to growing dracaena, we cover how to cultivate members of this genus at home.
This guide zeros in on the unique requirements of lucky bamboo.
What You’ll Learn
Also known as Chinese water bamboo and the fortune or ribbon plant, this bamboo-like species is a large commercial crop in Asia, but is native to the African Republic of Cameroon.
Named at the turn of the 20th century for German-English botanist Henry Sander, D. sanderiana thrives outdoors in part-shade in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, where it achieves a mature stature of three to five feet tall and wide.
Unlike true bamboo, D. sanderiana makes an easy-care houseplant in bright, indirect sunlight, where the effects of indoor cultivation and ornamental pruning limit its growth to more modest dimensions of one to three feet tall by one to two feet wide.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Lucky bamboo, Chinese water bamboo, fortune or ribbon plant
Plant type: Herbaceous evergreen perennial
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 10-11 (outdoors)
Native to: Cameroon
Bloom time / season: Summer (rare for houseplants to bloom)
Exposure: Bright, indirect sunlight
Soil type: Organically rich sandy loam or cactus and succulent mix, well-draining (potted), pebble substrate (water-grown)
Soil pH: 6.0-6.5, slightly acidic to neutral
Growth Rate: Moderate
Mature size: 1-2 feet wide by 1-3 ft high
Best uses: Houseplant, feng shui, gift
Taxonomy
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Dracaena
Species: Sanderiana
The leaves are lance-shaped and may reach seven inches in length. Outdoor plants may produce clusters of small, white, tubular blossoms, but those cultivated indoors rarely bloom.
My first encounter with lucky bamboo was at a grand opening for an Asian restaurant in my area.
There were stalks on the counter arranged in various levels like a festive pyramid and secured by bands of red ribbon.
It looked like a cut floral arrangement, and it wasn’t until much later that I learned more about this unique plant.
For thousands of years, the Chinese have embraced lucky bamboo as a symbol of good fortune.
Giving one as a gift is said to endow the recipient with joy, fortitude, health, love, and prosperity.
In addition to good fortune, lucky bamboo offers an excellent opportunity to represent the five natural elements significant in feng shui: earth, fire, metal, water, and wood.
Potting soil or pebbles stand for earth.
Red ties symbolize fire. Ties may also be other colors, like gold or green. All represent various aspects of well-being, from physical and emotional to financial.
Metal is represented by wired ribbon or twist ties, small trinkets or coins, or a metal container or container embellishment.
Water is visible in the vessel, or exists within the soil.
And finally, the stalks themselves are the wood.
Placing a plant in the southeast corner of a home is believed to promote wealth as it infuses the space with positive energy for harmonious living according to the tenets of feng shui.
The deep-rooted traditions surrounding this fascinating plant run deep. Here are some widely embraced meanings of various numeric groupings of stalks:
- A single one – commitment, love, truth
- Two – double luck, love
- Three – a trio of luck: happiness, wealth, long life
- Four – negative connotation; “four” in Cantonese sounds like “death”
- Five – luck in all areas of life
- Six – good fortune in business; “six” in Cantonese sounds like “happiness/good fortune”
- Seven – good health
- Eight – fertility; “eight” in Cantonese sounds like “grow”
- Nine – great luck overall
- 10 – completion, perfection
- 21 – abundant blessing
In addition to the numerical indicators of good fortune, there are various physical formations that also contribute to the overall feng shui of a living space.
How to Grow
Indoor lucky bamboo needs bright indirect light. Placing the plant too close to a sunny window may cause the leaves to scorch and turn brown.
Lucky bamboo can survive temperatures ranging from 50°F to the high 90s. However, this plant doesn’t handle fluctuations well, so a consistently temperate room is best.
It prefers nutrient-rich, slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Sandy loam or cactus and succulent potting mix would be ideal.
With vigilant care, water-grown stems may live for a year or so. Those in soil are likely to last a few years.
Don’t be discouraged by the short lifespan of this species. By taking cuttings from the youngest stems, you can enjoy lucky bamboo for years to come.
Water Cultivation
Here’s how to care for stems in water:
Keep them fresh by pouring the old liquid down the sink and replenishing it with new water each week. Don’t reuse the water, as it may be loaded with bacteria.
Once a month, carefully dislodge the stems from the pebble substrate and rinse them under tepid tap water.
Lay the stems on clean cloth or paper towels while you sanitize the container and pebbles with a 10 percent bleach solution, rinse, and then dry.
Reassemble the container and substrate. Anchor the stems in the pebble substrate.
Fill the container with one inch of room temperature distilled water.
Keeping the vessel clean prolongs the plant’s life by inhibiting bacterial and fungal growth that cause a foul odor, rotting roots and stems, and foliar deterioration.
If your home is especially dry, mist the foliage occasionally to increase ambient humidity. Excessive dryness makes houseplants vulnerable to pests.
Apply one drop of liquid plant food each month during the growing season. Discontinue during the dormant winter months.
A soilless plant may be transferred to a container of potting mix to prolong its life.
Soil-Based Cultivation
To cultivate in potting mix:
A soil-grown plant needs to be kept moist. Be sure to thoroughly rewet the potting mix before it completely dries out.
Mist as needed to increase ambient humidity and avoid oversaturation of the soil as it can lead to rotting.
Give it a drop of diluted liquid plant food monthly during all seasons except winter, the dormant period.
Where to Buy
In addition to green leaves, there are two varieties available with variegated foliage. They may be a bit more difficult to find than the species plant.
‘White Stripe Victory’ has green leaves with white striping.
And ‘White Stripe Gold’ boasts green foliage with yellow margins.
In addition to foliar variations, you’ll find specimens for sale with interesting stem formations.
Imaginative growers “train” or manipulate stems into decorative designs like braids, curls, hearts, layers, and pyramids.
If you’re clever and patient, you might try your hand at this ancient art!
Creatively arranged stalks make beautiful, meaningful gifts both to oneself and to others.
For those who believe, the shapes and directional attributes align with feng shui principles and bring peace and positive energy to a living space.
There are about 120 tropical, tree-like Dracaena species. As you shop, you may come across lotus bamboo, D. deremensis or D. compacta which may also be described as lucky bamboo.
Lotus bamboo has a long leafless stalk and a tuft of lotus-like leaves, and is not luck-bearing per traditional lore.
You can find lucky bamboo from NW Wholesaler via Amazon.
Maintenance
To keep your bamboo in top form, you may want to prune it from time to time.
Take care to use sanitary pruning shears, so that the cuts are less susceptible to pests and disease.
Pruning is done for several reasons, including:
- Remove damaged, diseased, or pest-infested stems to promote good health.
- To “top,” as with trees, cut the top half of each stem straight across with sanitary shears to promote bushier growth.
- Remove leggy, old stems to encourage basal growth.
When large main stalks (not small side shoots) are pruned, they may be coated with paraffin to seal them against pests and disease.
Red wax is a desirable choice as it symbolizes fire.
By dripping liquid wax from a lit candle onto the stalk tops, or dipping them into the liquid wax in the top of a recently extinguished candle, you can achieve a good seal.
Propagation
It is possible to start a plant from seed, but you may not find them easily.
As a houseplant, D. sanderiana seldom flowers, and the focus of commercial producers is on the sale of cuttings, not seeds.
In sterile laboratory settings, scientists culture vast quantities of plant tissue in vitro, a process called “micropropagation.”
Not only does this translate to a greater quantity of plants brought to market, it means improved quality as a result of minimal disease transmission.
As seed germination and micropropagation are not likely ways for the home gardener to begin, we turn our attention to stem cuttings and transplants.
From Stem Cuttings
Take stem cuttings during the growing season, rather than during winter dormancy.
They should be a minimum of two inches tall with at least one “node.”
A node is a growing point from which a branch, leaf, or root sprouts. In this case, the node consists of the entire brown line that divides stem segments, which are also known as “internodes,” because they are found between the nodes.
As long as you cut about an eighth to a quarter of an inch below a brown line, roots should sprout within the next two months.
Prepare a container by sanitizing it with a 10 percent bleach solution (one part bleach to nine parts water), soak for 10 minutes, then rinse and dry.
Place a bed of pebbles or marbles sanitized in the same way in the bottom of the container.
Anchor the stem to keep it upright, and fill the container with one inch of room temperature distilled water.
This is preferable to tap water, as it lacks chemicals like chlorine and fluoride that can have an adverse effect on plant tissue.
Place the container in a room temperature location with bright, indirect sunlight.
Alternatively, you can dip the cut end of the bamboo into rooting hormone powder and plunk it right into a container filled with soil or potting medium, to a depth of one inch.
From Transplants
When you purchase a plant, you may receive single stems, or multiple stems that have been bound together. They may arrive potted in soil or as bare roots.
You have the option to grow these in water or soil, and to cultivate stems individually or as a bundle.
To transplant, select a container with good drainage that can accommodate the stalks.
Pots should have a diameter that’s wide enough to accommodate them, plus an inch of additional space all around for growth and the spout of a watering can.
Clean the container with a 10 percent bleach solution, soak for ten minutes, then rinse and dry it.
You can leave a bundle intact or cut the ties to separate the stems, taking care not to sever the roots.
Place an intact bundle at the same depth it was in the original container.
If you choose to untie the bundle and plant individual stems, set them one inch deep in separate pots, or in the same pot with at least two inches between them.
Open the package of stems, or carefully unpot them and brush the dirt off. The roots should look plump and healthy. Young roots are whitish, and older ones are red. Both are perfectly normal.
Fill the container three-quarters of the way with organically rich sandy loam or a cactus and succulent potting mix.
These mixes are good choices because they are moisture retentive, airy, and well-draining.
Gently settle the stems into the soil at a depth of one inch and tamp the soil around them, or repot to the same depth as the container they came in.
If you like, you can add a layer of attractive gravel over the surface of the potting mix.
Thoroughly moisten the soil and place the container in a temperate room with bright indirect sunlight.
Managing Pests and Disease
You should have few pest and disease issues when caring for D. sanderiana. However, with moisture stress, vulnerability to both increases.
Pests
Sap-sucking mealybugs and spider mites may plague plants in hot, dry environments, as well as those that are underwatered.
One or more applications of an organic horticultural insecticide, such as neem oil, should take care of the problem.
With large infestations, it may be best to salvage an unaffected piece to cut and root, or discard a plant altogether and buy a new one.
Disease
In addition, various diseases may present themselves in overly wet situations. These include the following:
- Anthracnose, Colletotrichum dracaenophilum
- Botrytis Blight, aka Gray Mold, Botrytis spp.
- Leaf Spot, Phyllosticta maculicola
- Root and Stem Rot, Fusarium solani
All of these are fungal conditions. The removal of the affected plant portions and an application of a copper-based fungicide may be helpful.
It may be more cost effective to discard a severely infected plant and purchase a new one.
Other issues that may arise include browning of the tips of the leaves. And while this may occur with underwatering, it may also be the result of using tap water instead of distilled.
And finally, water that is not changed often enough is prime breeding ground for multiple types of bacteria that can compromise roots, stems, and foliage.
Telltale signs are a foul odor, cloudy water, mushy stems, and wilting. In this case, starting over may be the best course of action.
Joy and Prosperity
Start on the path to positive energy and a harmonious life with your very own lucky bamboo.
You don’t have to wait to receive one as a gift. It is said to be just as fortuitous when you buy one yourself.
Is there bright indirect light in your office? Would a water-containing vessel filled with lush green foliage serve as a visual delight that provides daily inspiration?
Do you grow lucky bamboo? Please share your experience in the comments section below.
And for more information about growing houseplants, check out these guides next:
Beautiful
What a lame website too many pop-ups does not scroll cannot read.
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I purchased a tiny Lucky Bamboo in a little 2 inch cup over 6 years ago. It is huge now, nearly two feet. But recently many of the leaves are turning yellow. I did repot it this summer because it had gotten so big. I potted it in distilled water with pebbles. I read in your post that over watering can cause yellowing leaves, but it is potted in water so I dont understand how I could over water. I know it sounds crazy, but I love this mighty little plant and want to keep it alive and well. Should… Read more »
Hi Suzanne –
If lucky bamboo grows in soil, it is possible to overwater and cause leaf yellowing.
When it grows in distilled water, the most likely reason for yellowing is too much sunlight. Bright, but indirect sunlight is best for lucky bamboo.
Thank you! I will move him out of the window! Should I cut the yellow leaves off?
Thank you again,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne –
Yes, you can prune off the yellow foliage. Sanitize your garden scissors and carefully clip the leaves without damaging the stems.