Lucky bamboo
Dracaena sanderiana · also called Ribbon plant
Foliage and indoor
- Light
- Part sun, Shade or indoors
- Pot size
- Small pot (up to about 5 litres)
- Care level
- Moderate
- Year round or seasonal
- Kept year to year; in a pot, keep it above about 12.8 °C (55 °F)
- Pets
- ASPCA: toxic to pets
Light and position
Bright, indirect light; NC State lists it for dappled light and deep shade.
Size and pot
Usually sold as stems in a vase or small pot. Our pot band: small pot (up to about 5 litres).
Watering
Keep potting mix moist, or grow the stems in chlorine-free water. NC State says to change the water weekly so mosquitoes cannot breed.
Potting mix and feeding
Feed with a weak liquid fertiliser. Pebbles in the vase give roots something to hold.
Growing through the year
Stem cuttings root in water.
Winter outdoors
Cold limit in a pot: about 12.8 °C (55 °F). NC State gives no temperature for this plant and lists it only for USDA zones 10a to 10b, the tropical end of the scale. For tropical plants like this we follow NC State’s container chapter: bring tender plants inside once nights drop to 55 °F.
| Your coldest winter nights | What to do |
|---|---|
| Coldest nights 15 °C or warmer | Can stay out through this winter |
| Coldest nights 10 to 15 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 5 to 10 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Coldest nights 0 to 5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Light frost: nights down to about −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
| Hard frost: nights below −5 °C | Move it to shelter before nights fall to 12.8 °C |
A plant can stay out only when its limit is below the coldest night in your band; a limit equal to that night counts as needing shelter. A rare cold snap, wind or a wet pot can still damage plants. We convert °F to °C with NIST’s formula.
Watch for
Yellow leaves and stem rot from overwatering in soil; brown tips in dry air; mealybugs, mites and scale.
Pets and people
ASPCA lists Dracaena species as toxic to dogs and cats (saponins). Signs include vomiting, drooling, loss of appetite, depression and, in cats, dilated pupils.
General gardening information, not professional advice. Plant toxicity details are a starting point, not veterinary or medical advice: if a pet or child may have eaten a plant, contact a veterinarian or doctor promptly.
Care level: NC State’s maintenance rating (Medium). Pot band and summary wording are ours, based on the sources below.