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Dracaena sanderiana, known as Ribbon Dracaena, Lucky Bamboo, Belgian Evergreen or sometimes Ribbon Plant, is a species of Dracaena, native to Cameroon in tropical west Africa. It 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 an upright shrub growing to 1.5 m tall, with leaves 15-25 cm long and 1.5-4 cm 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 above 15 °C up to 25 °C.
Often in large chain pet shops it will be sold in black slitted pots rooted in rockwool submerged, stating it is 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.
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.
Other useful information
References
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