Lucky bamboo
Lucky bamboo is easy to keep alive and, despite the name, it is no bamboo.
Keep it green
Use clean water
Keep the roots covered and change the water weekly. Chlorine and fluoride in tap water can brown the tips, so filtered water is safer.
Hold back the sun
Bright indirect light is ideal. Direct sun scorches the leaves, and a dim corner leaves them pale and leggy.
Count the stalks
Two stalks are said to mean love, three happiness, wealth and long life, eight growth. Four is avoided because it sounds like death.
The spirals are not wired. They grow toward light.
Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Live plants need permits and inspection to enter the US, so one cannot simply be mailed from abroad. Its lucky meaning is a custom, not a money forecast.
Good to know
Is lucky bamboo actually bamboo?
No. Lucky bamboo is Dracaena sanderiana, a tropical plant from Central Africa. Its jointed stems only look like bamboo. The Chinese name means wealth and honor bamboo.
How many lucky bamboo stalks are good luck?
Three is the favorite. People say they stand for happiness, wealth and long life. Eight is popular too. Four is avoided, because the word sounds like death in Chinese.
Why is my lucky bamboo turning yellow?
Usually too much sun, chemicals in the water or stale water. Yellow leaves can be trimmed. A yellow stalk will not recover, so lift it out before it fouls the water.
