New Bamboo (Kind Of)

My friend Jing came home with me over the weekend. She's from Shanghai, and as a gift for letting her see how an American family (atypical as mine may be) lives, she gave me this adorable lucky bamboo plant! How she knew that this species is on my most-wanted houseplant list is beyond me.

Lucky bamboo, Dracaena sanderiana, is not bamboo at all, nor is it of any relation.
However, it makes a good houseplant because of its low light requirements (after all, it is naturally found growing under trees in the rainforest).

My pictures may not make this clear, but this plant has been grown hydroponically. It is planted in small pebbles instead of soil. Lucky bamboo is very resilient, which is part of the reason it symbolizes luck, so it doesn't need much in the way of nutrients. It's even sensitive to phosphorous, so fertilizer is only necessary if the plant begins to yellow.

This plant came in the cutest little container! See the frogs frolicking around the edges?

I'm no expert on lucky bamboo health, but this plant looks healthy to me. Here's a better shot of its leaves.

I'm very happy with this gift. Jing knows what I like. Have you ever had lucky bamboo? Any tips on keeping it healthy?

Next post: a journey to Elephant Rocks State Park.