Dracaena sanderiana

Dracaena sanderiana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
clade:	Angiosperms
clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Nolinoideae
Genus:	Dracaena
Species:	D. sanderiana
Binomial name
Dracaena sanderiana Sander ex Mast.[1]

Dracaena sanderiana is a species of the genus Dracaena. The species was named after the German-English gardener, Henry Frederick Conrad Sander (1847-1920). It is also known as Dracaena braunii, Ribbon Dracaena, Lucky Bamboo, Belgian Evergreen or sometimes Ribbon Plant

D. sanderiana is one of a group of small, shrubby species with slender stems and flexible strap-shaped leaves that grow as understory plants in rainforests. It is native to Cameroon in tropical west Africa. It is an upright shrub growing to 1.5 metres (5 ft) tall, with leaves 15-25 cm (6-10 in) long and 1.5-4 cm (1-2 in) broad at the base.

It is marketed in the developed world as a Chinese decorative plant "Lucky Bamboo" (although unrelated to Bamboo and not native to Asia), propagated from short cuttings, usually in water.

Cultivation and uses

Dracaena sanderiana and related species are popular houseplants, with numerous cultivars sold. It can survive in many indoor conditions, but indirect lighting is best as direct sunlight can cause the leaves to turn yellow and burn.

Although it grows better in soil, it often is sold with the roots in water. The water should be completely changed every two weeks. The water should be bottled water, soft tap water with very little fluoride, or even water from a filtered, established aquarium. It does best in bright, indirect lighting and temperatures from 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F).

Yellow or brown leaf edges may be caused by too much direct light, crowded roots, or fluoridated or chlorinated water, the latter of which can be prevented by leaving tap water exposed to the air for a day before plant use. Salty or softened water can also cause this.

Twisted shapes can be produced by rotating the plant with respect to gravity and directed light sources. This is difficult to achieve for most home users, but not impossible with a lot of spare time and a lot of patience.

Often in large chain pet shops it will be sold as an aquatic plant. While it will live for months like this, it will eventually rot unless the sprouts are allowed to grow above the surface.

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  Lucky bamboo spiral houseplant

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  Newly propagated Lucky Bamboo cutting with roots forming

Other information

Dracaena sanderiana in a more natural form, in this case at Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Indonesia.

• Dracaena sanderiana is toxic to pets.
• Dracaena sanderiana can flower in autumn, winter, and early spring.
• Dracaena sanderiana has long been associated with the Eastern practice of feng shui. Lucky bamboo is believed to be an ideal example of the thriving wood and water element, with the addition of a red ribbon sometimes tied around the stalks which is believed to "fire" the positive flow of energy or chi in the room. The number of stalks also has meaning: three for happiness; five for wealth; six for health. (Four stalks are avoided since the word 'four' in Chinese sounds too similar to the word for 'death'.)^[2]

References

1. ^ "Dracaena sanderiana information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?449327. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 
2. ^ "Quick Tips: Lucky Bamboo". http://www.chiff.com/a/lucky-bamboo.htm. 

See also

Media related to Dracaena sanderiana at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Dracaena sanderiana at Wikispecies

External links

• Lucky Bamboo – Dracaena sanderiana at Plant-Care.com
• Belgian Evergreen, Lucky Bamboo, Dracaena sanderiana at PlantCare.com
• Growing Lucky Bamboo at About.com.