Lucky bamboo isn’t bamboo at all. It’s Dracaena sanderiana, a tropical shrub in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), according to NC State Extension. The bamboo look comes from its slim, upright stems with distinct nodes, says Missouri Botanical Garden.
Older references call it Dracaena braunii, Pleomele braunii or Pleomele sanderiana, and NC State also spells the species sanderana.
The name honors Henry Frederick Conrad Sander, a German-born nurseryman and orchid specialist who worked in England, according to both NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden.
Lucky bamboo is most associated with Chinese culture, but it is native to western Africa, according to Clemson Extension. Missouri Botanical Garden gives Cameroon as its native range.
If you’ve ever felt like you have a “brown thumb,” this is a good plant to try. NC State calls it popular, easy to grow and undemanding, and it grows in plain water or in soil. Here’s how to keep yours green.
Lucky Bamboo Quick Care Tips
- Botanical name: Dracaena sanderiana (older names include Dracaena braunii and Pleomele sanderiana)
- Common names: Lucky bamboo, ribbon plant, Belgian evergreen, Chinese water bamboo, friendship bamboo, water bamboo
- Family and origin: Asparagaceae; native to tropical western Africa (Missouri Botanical Garden lists Cameroon)
- Growability: Easy to grow and undemanding
- Hardiness zones: USDA zones 10 to 12 (Missouri Botanical Garden, Clemson Extension); NC State Extension lists zone 10. A houseplant everywhere else.
- Size: Usually sold small. UF/IFAS says the stems never get strong enough to stay upright beyond 2 to 3 feet; Missouri Botanical Garden says mature plants can reach 5 feet.
- Flowering: Small white flowers in clusters; rarely blooms indoors
- Light: Bright, indirect light; no direct sun
- Temperature: Keep it above 60°F; 70 to 80°F is ideal indoors (UF/IFAS)
- Humidity: Low humidity can brown the leaf tips
- Growing in water: Cover the roots and at least 1 inch of stem; pebbles hold the stalks up; change the water weekly
- Growing in soil: Well-drained indoor or tropical potting soil; water when the top inch is dry
- Fertilizer: In water, liquid houseplant fertilizer at 1/4 strength every other month; in soil, houseplant fertilizer monthly in the growing season
- Pests and problems: Spider mites, mealybugs, scale and aphids; overwatering can yellow the leaves and rot the stems
- Propagation: Root a shoot of new growth in water
- Safety: Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten; the sap can irritate skin
How To Care For Dracaena Sanderiana Lucky Bamboo
The good news is that lucky bamboo care is simple. The details still matter, especially the water.
Light
Bright, indirect light is best. Clemson Extension suggests a room facing east or north and says direct sunlight will damage the leaves, turning them brown.
Missouri Botanical Garden agrees that too much direct sun will scorch the foliage. From my own growing experience, too much light also turns lucky bamboo light green or yellow.
Lucky bamboo can spend summer outside, too. NC State says it does well in containers in partial shade outdoors in summer, and in bright but indirect light indoors all year.
Growing Lucky Bamboo in Water
Clemson Extension says lucky bamboo is sold both as canes planted in soil and as individual canes for growing in water, and water is a perfectly good way to keep it.
Clemson says to keep enough water in the container to cover the roots and at least one inch of the stem, and to change the water weekly. NC State gives one more reason to stick with weekly changes: it prevents mosquitoes.
Put pebbles or marbles in the bottom of the container to hold the stalks upright. Missouri Botanical Garden says the roots need a substrate such as pebbles to grow into, and NC State adds that the pebbles give the container weight so it is less likely to tip over.
Water alone won’t carry it forever. Gerald Klingaman, a retired horticulturist with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, wrote that lucky bamboo is easy to keep going for a year or more in just water, but it will eventually decline unless it gets some nutrition now and then. More on feeding below.
Growing Lucky Bamboo in Soil
Lucky bamboo grows in soil, too. Clemson Extension recommends a well-drained potting soil labeled for indoor or tropical plants. Stake tall stems until the roots anchor, water when the top inch of soil is dry, let the pot drain thoroughly, and don’t leave water sitting in the saucer.
Go easy on the perlite. Clemson’s dracaena fact sheet says dracaenas are very sensitive to fluoride and recommends avoiding potting soils with a high percentage of perlite. And don’t overdo the watering: NC State says overwatering can cause yellow leaves and rotting stems.
Temperature and Humidity
Lucky bamboo likes it warm, so keep it above 60°F. The UF/IFAS Extension guide to growing dracaenas says plants should be kept above 60°F at all times to prevent chilling injury, that 70 to 80°F is most appropriate indoors, and that drafts should be avoided.
If yours spends the summer outdoors in the shade, Clemson Extension says to bring it back inside before nighttime temperatures drop below 65°F.
Dry air shows up at the leaf tips. NC State says low humidity can cause browning of the leaf tips.
Feeding
Feed lightly. For plants growing in water, Clemson Extension suggests a liquid houseplant fertilizer at one quarter of the recommended rate every other month. For plants in soil, it suggests a houseplant fertilizer monthly during the growing season.
More is not better. Clemson’s dracaena fact sheet says leaf tips and margins may burn or turn yellow if plants are fertilized too heavily.
Related: Lucky bamboo is one of the Best Plants for the Bathroom.
Beware Of Fluoride, Chlorine and Salts
Water quality is the big one with lucky bamboo. Like many dracaenas, it is touchy about what comes out of the tap.
Clemson Extension says dracaenas are very sensitive to fluoride, with symptoms such as yellow leaf tips or margins, or dead, scorched areas.
UF/IFAS lists high boron, fluoride or soluble salts as causes of yellow or dead leaf tips and margins, and says damaged leaves will not recover. For lucky bamboo specifically, the University of Arkansas says leaf tip burn comes from high salts or high fluoride in the water.
The fix is better water: use distilled, rain or filtered water. Missouri Botanical Garden says filtered water or rainwater may help reduce leaf tip browning, and the University of Arkansas suggests filling the container with rainwater.
NC State recommends chlorine-free water for plants grown in water. Letting tap water stand removes chlorine, not fluoride.
For my own lucky bamboo, I like to use distilled water, bottled water or rainwater.
One caution on bottled water: UF/IFAS Extension says even bottled drinking water may be too alkaline for lucky bamboo, so if the leaves yellow on bottled water, switch to distilled or rainwater. For more, see our guides to distilled water for plants and Dracaena fluoride toxicity.
Brown tips have more than one cause, though. Missouri Botanical Garden lists low humidity, incorrect lighting and high levels of water additives such as chlorine. If the leaves are turning yellow instead, see why lucky bamboo leaves turn yellow.
Pruning and Propagating Lucky Bamboo
When lucky bamboo gets leggy, cut it back. Missouri Botanical Garden says to cut older, lanky stems back to the base to encourage new growth.
The University of Arkansas suggests cutting the canes back to the length they were when first potted once the plant gets leggy or the leaves look tattered. Use clean, sharp pruners or scissors.
Don’t toss the trimmings. Clemson Extension says to cut a shoot of new growth off the main stem, remove the lowest leaves and set the shoot in water. New roots usually form within 2 to 3 weeks.
Those twisted and spiral shapes in the store are trained, not natural. NC State says the stems are often trained into shapes such as braids or spirals, and Missouri Botanical Garden adds hearts and loops.
Lucky Bamboo Pests and Problems
NC State says lucky bamboo has no serious insect pests or diseases, but it does say to monitor for mealybugs, mites and scale insects.
Clemson Extension lists spider mites, mealybugs and aphids, and says they can be removed by hand, rinsed off the leaves, or treated with neem oil or insecticidal soap.
Spider mites are the ones to watch. The University of Arkansas says they can build up to the point of webbing, and that washing the leaves off can control them.
Is Lucky Bamboo Toxic To Pets?
Yes. NC State Extension says lucky bamboo is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, with a low poison severity.
The signs it lists are vomiting (occasionally with blood), depression, loss of appetite, drooling, and dilated pupils in cats. The ASPCA lists the same signs for dracaena species, including the ribbon plant.
NC State adds that people should not eat the plant and that the sap can cause skin irritation. Keep lucky bamboo where pets and kids can’t chew on it. If you think your pet ate some, the ASPCA says to call its Animal Poison Control Center or your local veterinarian right away.
How Lucky Bamboo Compares To Other Dracaenas
Lucky bamboo is a small cousin of familiar dracaenas such as Dracaena Massangeana, the corn plant, and Dracaena marginata. UF/IFAS describes lucky bamboo plants as typically leafless stems of the ribbon plant, sold individually or in clusters.
Why stems instead of potted plants? The University of Arkansas explains that plant quarantine rules prohibit importing plants with soil, while unrooted lucky bamboo stem cuttings can be imported without those restrictions.
Dracaena Bamboo Arrangement: Stalks And Canes Have Meaning
The number of stalks in an arrangement is not left to chance. Clemson Extension says lucky bamboo is a symbolic plant in Chinese culture, used in feng shui and often given as a gift for celebrations such as Chinese New Year.
Its list of what the number of stems symbolizes:
- 1 stem: good fortune
- 2 stems: love and relationships
- 3 stems: happiness
- 5 stems: health
- 6 stems: prosperity
Clemson notes there are many more, and that 4 stems are left out because they are not considered lucky. Tiers count, too: the University of Arkansas describes a three-tiered lucky bamboo called fu lu soh, which is supposed to bring happiness, wealth and longevity.
Conclusion
Lucky bamboo makes a wonderful gift for a home or office: it looks unusual, it’s forgiving, and it lasts. Give it bright, indirect light, water it weekly, use fertilizer sparingly, and keep it out of reach of pets.
How many stalks are in your lucky bamboo? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dracaena sanderiana flower?
Rarely, when it is grown indoors. NC State Extension describes small white flowers in clusters and says lucky bamboo rarely blooms as a houseplant. Missouri Botanical Garden says the flowers are not particularly showy and plants grown indoors rarely flower, and Clemson Extension says the flowers are not typically seen on indoor plants.
How often should I change the water for lucky bamboo?
Once a week. Clemson Extension says to change the water weekly and to keep the roots and at least an inch of stem covered. NC State Extension also says to change it weekly, partly to prevent mosquitoes. Missouri Botanical Garden says filtered water or rainwater may help reduce leaf tip browning, so use distilled, rain or filtered water.
Can lucky bamboo grow in soil?
Yes. NC State Extension says it can grow in a moist potting mix or in chlorine-free water. Clemson Extension recommends a well-drained potting soil labeled for indoor or tropical plants, watering when the top inch of soil is dry and not leaving water in the saucer. Clemson’s dracaena fact sheet advises avoiding mixes with a high percentage of perlite.
Is lucky bamboo toxic to cats and dogs?
Yes. NC State Extension says lucky bamboo is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, with a low poison severity, and the ASPCA lists dracaenas as toxic to both. Signs include vomiting, depression, loss of appetite, drooling, and dilated pupils in cats. NC State adds that the sap can irritate skin, so keep the plant out of reach.
Why are the leaf tips on my lucky bamboo turning brown?
Several things can cause it. Missouri Botanical Garden lists low humidity, incorrect lighting and water additives such as chlorine, and NC State Extension also names low humidity. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service points to high salts or fluoride in the water. Use distilled, rain or filtered water. For yellow leaves, see why lucky bamboo leaves turn yellow.