Lucky Bamboo: What It Is and How to Use It

If you like feng shui, you may have wondered: what's the big deal about lucky bamboo?

Bamboo is truly an amazing plant, and it's no wonder lucky bamboo became a staple of feng shui. It's an incredibly strong, flexible material, and a staple of Chinese construction. Since feng shui is a combination of construction, astrology, and design, it's no wonder this hardy, attractive plant plays such a key role.

The Basics of Lucky Bamboo

Feng shui masters recommend lucky bamboo not only for luck, but for creating security and energy. Keeping bamboo in your home provides a burst of healthy green and creates a sanctuary from the busy world. It also, as you can imagine, brings fortune and prosperity.

Bamboo has other significance in feng shui. Because the plant is so strong, it represents good health, and its strong wooden qualities make it a powerful aspect of the wood element.

The Significance of Numbers

Bamboo usually comes in specific numerical groups. You'll never see a grouping of four bamboo plants, for example (at least, not from anyone who knows what they're doing) because four is an unlucky number in China. The most common grouping is three: a three stalk lucky bamboo carries three elements -- happiness, wealth, and long life -- that are considered to be very desirable.

Care of Bamboo

Lucky bamboo isn't bamboo, actually -- it's a miniature version of a similar plant called dracaena. But that doesn't really matter. The point is that lucky bamboo is incredibly easy to take care of. It doesn't even require soil to grow, so even if you have a black thumb of death like me, you should be able to grow it no problem. Just plunk it in clean water and change it now and then, and your bamboo will thrive.

Fortunately, bamboo is also a very attractive plant, especially combined with a pretty vase. So enjoy your lucky bamboo and let its benefits wash over you!

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