If you do not cut the stalks of your lucky bamboo plant, it will keep growing and can reach up to 10 feet tall. This is a low-maintenance plant and does not even need soil or fertilizer as it grows fine in distilled or purified water. If you do keep your plant in water, you need to give it a liquid fertilizer every couple of months to ensure its longevity. As long as you keep moving it to bigger containers when the root mass becomes too large, it will continue to thrive. Check the growth of your lucky bamboo plant by cutting the main trunk and pruning lateral branches as they become too long. If you want a smaller plant, try miniature lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderana). This plant originated in Cameroon and grows to only 3 feet tall, having finger-sized stems.
Train your lucky bamboo into decorative shapes by wiring the stalks to create angles or bending, twisty shapes. The flexible stalk grows into the shape it is being forced to assume. Propagate lucky bamboo by clipping the base of a leaf that has developed into a stalk and placing it into distilled water, where it will soon develop roots.
Lucky bamboo does not require direct sunlight and is ideally suited to an indoor environment with low lighting. Situate your lucky bamboo plant anywhere in the office or home and it will soon begin to grow and spread, taking on the shape that you train it to achieve.
Lucky bamboo originated in Asia and has been used in feng shui practices for over 5,000 years. It is reputed to bring good luck, prosperity, health and love to its keeper. The plant has recently become popular in Western culture and home environments.