My family in New Mexico has this beautiful Lucky Bamboo Plant they keep in their home, and it’s really grown to its magnificence and I’m so so proud of it. Now the “Lucky Bamboo Plant,” also called a “money tree,” is not actually part of the bamboo plant species. Its scientific name is Dracaena sanderiana and it originates from Africa! The plant has been used in Chinese tradition for thousands of years, namely in the graceful art of feng shui. It’s easy to see why the Chinese adapted the plant for its striking resemblance to actual bamboo.

Bamboo has been an integral part of Chinese culture for millennia, being a food source for giant cuddly pandas and people alike, a reliable resource for housing and architecture, and a source of inspiration to ancient painters, philosophers and poets. To the Chinese, bamboo represents determination, moral integrity and virtue, and modesty.

Likewise, the Lucky Bamboo Plant carries a numerological symbolism in its stalks, take note dearies!

• One Stalk—representative of truth, strength and commitment. You rarely see this little guy.

• Two Stalks—symbolizes love is love is love is love is love. It also doubles your fortune!

• Three Stalks—attributed to happiness. Represents the three stellar gods of Chinese Mythology: Fu (Fortune), Lu (Prosperity), and Shou (longevity) and is my personal favorite.

• Four Stalks—beware of four stalks! The word for “four” resembles the word for “death” in Chinese culture. I don’t recommend buying this for yourself or as a gift, as it may attract negative energy. Bad vibes indeed.

• Five Stalks—to bring wealth and reinforce the health of each area of your life: emotion, intuition, mental, physical and spiritual. It can also represent the five Chinese elements of water, fire, earth, wood and metal.

• Six Stalks— six, pronounced “Liu” in Mandarin, is a lucky number representative of harmony. The 66^th birthday in China is a grand ol’ celebration!

• Seven Stalks—symbolizing beauty and gentleness. It is attributed to togetherness and who doesn’t need a little bit of that right now?

• Eight Stalks—eight is a popular number in Chinese numerology; considered the highest form of good fortune.

• Nine Stalks—nine is pronounced “Jiu,” and is related to the word for everlasting. Perfect for lovebirds. It is also a highly reverential number in Hindu numerology.

• Ten Stalks- ten is fulfillment and completion. Perfection. 

Of course, it’s very important to know how to take care of your Lucky Bamboo Plant. Luckily for those lazy planters out there (aka me), the plant is super easy to take care of. Just make sure it’s in a well-lit area, with plenty of natural sunlight. It’s good to revolve the plant to ensure every stalk gets their fair share of that lovely sunshine. The roots should be completely covered by the water so the plants can grow all the way to the stars. You’ll probably need to replace or pour some more water in every two to seven days. Tap water does just fine, unless it has a lot of minerals, in which case, opt for some purified water instead. Make sure the container you put the plant in has enough space for the roots to grow (one inch is good enough) and is tall enough to support those tall and abundant stalks.