Lucky Bamboo: A Great Indoor Plant for Any Home

Lucky bamboo isn't really bamboo at all. Actually it's in the Lilly family (or the Dracaena family) that grows in South East Asia and parts of Africa. Their resemblance to real bamboo and durability indoors is what makes them so popular.

They're sold as stalks, with a few budding leaves growing from them. They're as the straight stalk or a spiraling stalk. With proper time and care, the stocks will breed more stocks and a little trio can multiply.

They're a source of superstition and feng shui enthusiasts can tell you that they help with the energy of a room by balancing the five natural elements; water, fire, earth, wood and metal. Three stalks for happiness, five stalks for wealth, six stalks for health. Some people will tie a fire red ribbon around the stalk to represent the fire element. The contrast is also appealing to the eye.

If you're less superstitious, then a Lucky Bamboo can add just a touch of color to a room and give an exotic touch to the space.

How to take care of them

Of all indoor plants, Lucky Bamboo are probably the easiest to care for. They require nothing about an inch of water and watering. They just need about an inch of water over the roots to grow, most people find weekly watering sufficient and easily manageable. With traditional plants, it's difficult to know if you are over or under watering, with Lucky Bamboo you need no soil, so you can see if it needs watering. They grow just fine in room temperature and don't need direct sunlight. They naturally grow in the shade of taller trees which is what makes them so ideal for the indoors and too much direct sunlight will burn the leaves, too little light will lead to weak growth.

Some people use a dilute plant fertilizer to stimulate growth, but most people find that fresh water is more than enough to keep them thriving. I find that most florists sell bamboo, though they may not always have the spiraled variety because they don't naturally grow that way. On the contrary, a lot of light manipulation is necessary to get the spiraled effect.

For people who don't have a green thumb, Lucky Bamboo is the perfect gift because they are virtually indestructible! Most people choose to put them in a glass or porcelain vase with rocks in the bottom to hold the stalks upright.