How do I Grow Lucky Bamboo Indoors?

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) isn't a true bamboo but instead a small evergreen shrub that happens to produce stems that resemble bamboo canes. A tropical plant, lucky bamboo thrives as a houseplant in indoor conditions. It reaches approximately 3 feet tall and produces leaves along its green, segmented trunk. The trunks may grow straight, or lucky bamboo may be trained at the nursery into curves or corkscrew shapes. Lucky bamboo grows well as an indoor plant with the proper care.

Spray bottle

Tray

Pebbles

Fertilizer

Set the lucky bamboo in an area that receives four to six hours of bright, indirect light, such as near an east- or south-facing window. Avoid direct light, as it can burn the foliage and stems.

Place the bamboo in a room with temperatures between 60 and 70 F, and up to 10 degrees cooler at night. Avoid placing the pot near air vents or drafty windows.

Water lucky bamboo when the top 1/2 inch of soil begins to feel dry to the touch. Water at the base of the plant until the excess moisture drains from the bottom. Empty the drained water from the drip tray after each irrigation.

Mist the foliage with water every day to provide humidity, particularly in winter when the home is dry. Alternately, set the pot on top of a tray filled with pebbles and water to provide humidity from evaporation.

Fertilize the plant once monthly during the spring and summer. Apply a soluble houseplant fertilizer at the rate recommended on the package.

Lucky bamboo is occasionally sold in pots filled with pebbles and water. Transplant the plant to a pot filled with soil if you wish to keep it growing for more than a few months.

Lucky bamboo doesn't tolerate fluoride in the water. If your city water contains fluoride, water the plant with distilled water instead.