Last Updated on July 6, 2020
EDITOR’S NOTE: One year later, in July of 2020, this lucky bamboo plant is still alive and thriving and has grown several inches in height. Highly recommended if you want a house plant that is easy to grow.
Aldi sells a steady rotation of various house plants. After seeing some discussion and photos of Lucky Bamboo plants from Aldi on The Aldi Reviewer Discussion Group page on Facebook, I decided to try my luck (pun intended) with it the next time it popped up on store shelves.
Lucky Bamboo plants are not exclusive to Aldi by any means. You can find them at a lot of retailers and garden shops. Aldi’s Lucky Bamboo sold for $5.99 at the time of publication and came in a small ceramic vase about five inches tall and three inches in diameter, and the vase has a “made in China” sticker on the bottom.
My Lucky Bamboo, or Dracaena sanderiana or braunii, came with a small tag with information and care instructions. It states that “the plant symbolizes good luck and is believed to bring good fortune and prosperity. Lucky Bamboo is often given as a gift to celebrate the opening of a new business, starting a new job, purchase of a new home, birthdays, graduations or generally used to improve the harmony and peacefulness of those who care for the plant.”
The care instructions say to keep the plant moist. Never let it dry out, and replace the water if the leaves turn yellow. Many people who grow Lucky Bamboo say it’s a good idea to change out the water every couple of weeks.
The instructions recommend keeping the plant in indirect light at a temperature of 65 to 75 degrees.
My bamboo plant came with five stalks, and while the number can vary, I learned that you should not plant Lucky Bamboo in a group of four stalks because it’s considered an unlucky number. Three stems is a popular number because it represents long life, happiness, and wealth.
Lucky Bamboo can be grown in water with small rocks or pebbles to hold the stems upright, or it can be grown in soil. The Aldi Lucky Bamboo is in small rocks. The vase was full of water almost to the top of the rocks when I purchased the plant, so it was in no danger of drying out anytime soon in the store.
A little research indicates that Lucky Bamboo is easy to grow. Joy Us garden recommends keeping the roots covered with water at all times but not keeping the water level too high; just focus on the roots. If the leaves turn yellow or brown or the plant looks unhealthy, try watering it with distilled water rather than hard tap water. Bamboo also likes a bit of fertilizer from time to time.
Also, it’s easy to propagate new bamboo plants. Apartment Therapy says to cut a stalk about an inch above a node (the part of the stem that sticks out), dip it in rooting powder, let it dry overnight, and place it in a new container. Mist the plant with water every couple of days to promote new growth.
The Verdict:
Aldi’s Lucky Bamboo is the newest addition to my house plant collection. The selection of bamboo plants at my local store looked healthy and were well watered, and the plant seems to be easy to grow. We’ll see how my plant does over time.
