A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Bamboo

I have been wanting to grow bamboo as a container plant in the house - I have found a couple of places that said yes that works and other places that say no don't - is there a particular variety that would work best, and does anyone know where I could get some?

Real bamboo (as opposed to the plants sold as Lucky bamboo, which are not really bamboo) require lots of direct sun and lots of water to survive. It is very hard to get enough light for them to survive in the ordinary home. If you have a greenhouse or a sunroom, you might be able to get them to last.

Here is the site of a bamboo grower that should provide you with the particulars:
www.tornellobamboo.com

Thanks for the help Will. With the Bannana being in the sunniest spot in the house during the winter, it doesn't sound like Bamboo will be an option right now. Maybe down the road, I will keep that website handy.

what type of plant is a lucky bamboo? i got one for a present i planted him in soil. how should i care for it? i have it in a sunny window and it seems to be doing well.

Lucky bamboo are not actually bamboo. They are Dracaena sanderiana cuttings. Like most cuttings, they need fresh water periodically and they will grow roots in the water. Although they will live for a long time in water, in most cases the new growth weakens considerably after a year or so.

If you want yours to live a long time, it is best to plant them in a small pot of soil before they start to deteriorate. They do best in bright indirect light and warm temperatures above 60 degrees.

well now i am really confused, i have what the store said was lucky bambo, and i also have a dracaena sanderiana,although there is a resemblance they don't look like the same kind of plant. the 'lucky bambo' has a pourous stalk that looks like bambo where the other more closely resembles a corn plant, the 'bambo' does not have a white stripe while the other one does.

It is confusing and appearances can be deceptive. Both of your plants are Dracaena sanderiana, although different varities. The one with white stripes is a variegated variety and is commonly called ribbon plant. The lucky bamboo is never variegated. Both require the same conditions for healthy growth.

Lucky bamboo I find easily cared for in water with pebbles to stabilize. I've never had any experiance with real bamboo though. Lucky bamboo is easy to care for and gives off the same exotic look so I'm happy with it.