Questions tagged [lucky-bamboo]

Use this tag for questions about growing or diagnosing problems with Dracaena braunii (also D. sanderiana). This plant is commonly known as "lucky bamboo" though it isn't related to bamboo. Use the [bamboo] tag for questions about true bamboos.

Part of the genus, common name for Dracaena braunii (sub-family Nolinoideae). Also known as "Ribbon Draceana", "Belgian Evergreen" or "Ribbon Plant". These are small, shrubby plants with slender stems and strap-shaped leaves. They are native to the understory of rainforests in Cameroon.

Note that despite the name, Dracaena braunii is unrelated to bamboo.

An adult plant grows up to 1.5m tall with leaves 6-10in long.

It is marketed in much of the developed world as "Lucky Bamboo" in the form of decorative short cuttings in water & gravel.

Water based plants should be watered with bottled water, soft tap water with little fluoride, or from filtered (aquarium) water. Fluoridated and/or chlorinated water can be used if the water is left to stand for about a day, allowing the fluorine and chlorine to de-gas.

"Lucky bamboo" is also sold as an aquatic plant for aquariums. Although it will grow like this for months, it will eventually rot unless the sprouts are allowed to grow above the water's surface.

Use this tag for all questions about Dracaena sanderiana / Lucky Bamboo. Use the tag for questions about true bamboos.

#External links

29 questions
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Why has our lucky bamboo turned yellow?

Our lucky bamboo has turned yellow in a very short time, after we've had it for almost 2 years. We've trimmed all yellow leaves, and changed the pebble to clean the green algae - what else can be done? Why did this happen and what can we do to save…
Kobi
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How do I grow bamboo plants indoors?

Doesn't this plant have root rotting property? I tried to grow this in my home which had the tubelight burning only for 6 hours at night. And at the rest of the time it is a shady place. We used to change the water after 3-4 days, still its leaves…
Aquarius_Girl
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What bamboo species for a container-bound green wall?

I have a boring grey northwest-facing-with-southwest-exposure concrete wall on my balcony, outdoors, in Vancouver BC, that I would like to turn into a lush wall of bamboo. I have one container whose inside dimensions are 14cm × 81cm × 43cm deep (5½″…
8
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1 answer

How to replant bamboo/water based plants

I have had a bamboo for several years in this tiny glass pot. It has grown very much, but its time to move her to a bigger home. But how? the pot she was brought home in was large at the bottom and narrow at the top. How do I remove her without…
matchew
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7
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Is my lucky bamboo dying and what can I do about it?

Recently I've noticed my lucky bamboo houseplant had been withering from the top down. I've had it for over a year now and I'm wondering why it is dying. The plant is in a glass bottle of water (changed once when it dried out last summer). Here…
6
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1 answer

What is killing off my lucky bamboo?

I've been following the general guidelines for taking care of lucky bamboo. Purified water Sunny area, indirect sunlight No fertilizer Indoors (60 to 70 fahrenheit nowadays) They have been slowly dying. They turn yellow, starting from the top.…
JoJo
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Should I use tap water for my Aloe and Lucky Bamboo?

I've had my Aloe for about 5 months now; it's doing a bit better than it was at the store (they had it in direct sunlight and it was getting damaged). I just got two stalks of Lucky Bamboo also and I was reading about the type of water to put with…
pashOCONNOR
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Lucky Bamboo stem sags but seems healthy, how do I fix this?

I've had this Lucky Bamboo plant for almost 4 years. It has got two shoots coming out of the main stem, the longer of which is now unable to support itself. We had a very dry winter and I had a hard time with a lot of my plants; it got really bad…
eddiemoya
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Part of my bamboo is dying & Small bumps near the branch growing from the node

I have noticed over the past few months that one of my 3 bamboo stocks is turning brown, but strangely only part of it is brown while there is a small sliver on green that remains. Is there anything i could do to stop this? I have also noticed that…
5
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1 answer

Will my Lucky Bamboo go back to full health?

My Lucky Bamboo has recently turned yellow. Each stalk is bright yellow and I noticed it turning that color around 2 days ago. But before that it was pretty healthy. I also did transplant it, (cut off the new stalks and plant the old ones back in…
A.N.M
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Will my mostly brown lucky bamboo survive?

I've been reading about the lucky bamboo on google, and I have one that hasn't had water for over 2 months. I was wondering whether it will survive. I've uploaded a picture. I think only 1 of them has a bit of green leaves.
justin
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Can I fix my lucky bamboo that has yellow stalks?

Is it possible to save my lucky bamboo plant? The stalk is yellow and starting to turn brown but the leaves are still green. I have cleaned the glass container it is in and placed it in indirect sun.
renee
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Should I re-plant my unbalanced indoor lucky bamboo plant, or will something else work?

What is the best way to re-plant this plant, or help it to support itself? The shoots are a bit too tall for the original stalk.
kevindaub
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Cure a lucky bamboo with severe conditions

My bamboo (lucky) was sitting (in a room without heater or air conditioning). It is in a winter time where the temperature outside now drops to 15 F or -10 C. But the room temperature I think is around 15 C now. It became like this after a day: The…
4
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1 answer

Replanting and propagating old Lucky Bamboo tree with newborn stalks

I have had two Lucky Bamboo trees for the past 5 years now. I grow them in water and they have been doing well. Four months ago the two of them started growing new stalks. The new growth is causing a weight problem and I am afraid they will not be…
Mahdi
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