How to Repot Lucky Bamboo, Plus a DIY Project to Display It

Did you know that the houseplant often marketed as "lucky bamboo" isn't actual bamboo? Its botanical name is Dracaena sanderiana, a member of the tropical water lily family. However, this dracaena mimics the look of bamboo with its thick, banded stems and narrow leaves.

The plant is considered lucky because of its association with the Chinese practice of feng shui—balancing yin and yang. Having a few stems of this dracaena in your home is said to increase chi, representing vital energy or life source. Here's how to grow your own lucky bamboo and repot the cuttings to keep the good fortune coming.

What Is Lucky Bamboo?

Unlike true bamboos (which have roots in Asia), Dracaena sanderiana is native to Africa. In its home habitats, it's a perennial shrub that blooms in the fall and winter. However, you won't see any flowers if you grow this plant indoors. As a houseplant, lucky bamboo can grow 3 feet tall in an indoor container—perfect for your entryway or kitchen space—and the leaves can grow up to an inch per month.

Lucky bamboo usually comes with multiple canes, and the number you're growing has a meaning in Chinese culture. For example: Nine represents longevity and eternality. The number four is considered unlucky, so you might want to avoid that quantity of dracaena canes in your arrangement.

How to Care for Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo makes an easy-care plant for a beginner or someone who doesn't have the time to baby a fussy plant. Although it doesn't naturally live in water, lucky bamboo cuttings will easily grow roots in it. If you purchased cuttings rooted in water, keep them 1-2 inches deep. Then, once a week, replace with fresh water. It's best to use filtered or distilled because lucky bamboo is sensitive to the chlorine found in tap water.

Keep your lucky bamboo in bright but indirect sunlight. The plant grows more slowly and needs less fertilizer if given less light. Also, keep an eye on the color of the leaves; if they become dull or turn yellow, move your plant to a brighter spot. However, don't leave it in direct sun because this could scorch the leaves.

Dracaena prefer warm temperatures, between 65-90°F. So avoid placing your lucky bamboo next to an air vent or cold window. And although it's not necessary, applying a little fertilizer every two or three months encourages new, healthy growth.

How to Repot Lucky Bamboo

Knowing how to repot lucky bamboo correctly can yield healthy plants that live for years.

Move your rooted dracaena stems growing in water into a container of potting soil after the plants have developed several sets of leaves. When repotting lucky bamboo from water to soil, keep your newly repotted plant moist for the first few weeks to help it get acclimated. After that, it should develop new roots, and you can cut back on watering. Then you can wait until the top inch or so of potting soil feels dry before adding more water.

How to Propagate Lucky Bamboo

You can propagate your lucky bamboo by cutting a piece off a healthy main cane. Trim away any leaves on your cutting until you have a bare stalk. Put the cutting into a container with 1-3 inches of water and wait for it to develop roots. Once they appear, you can move the cutting into a decorative vase or other container to display it as you wish.

Your dracaena cuttings can grow in water for several months and up to a couple of years before needing to be repotted. Dracaenas won't survive in water indefinitely.

How to Create a Simple Lucky Bamboo Display

Make a simple yet elegant tabletop display with your lucky bamboo stems by putting the cuttings in a decorative shallow bowl. Support the canes with a few handfuls of pretty stones, marbles, or glass beads.