MBP's House Plant Basics: The Meaning of Lucky Bamboo

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Lucky bamboo is a household plant known to increase feng shui. The common houseplant that most people refer to as lucky bamboo is not actually bamboo. While the stalks or stems do resemble bamboo, it's actually called dracaena or Dracaena sanderiana.


Lucky Bamboo and Chinese Traditions
According to Chinese traditions, the significance of lucky bamboo is tied to how many stalks you have. There are different meanings associated with various lucky bamboo arrangements. For example:

• Two stalks represent love.
• Three stalks represent Fu (happiness), Lu (wealth), and Soh (long life).
• Five stalks represent the areas of life that impact wealth.
• Six stalks represent good luck and wealth.
• Seven stalks represent good health.
• Eight stalks represent growth.
• Nine stalks represent great luck.
• Ten stalks represent perfection.
• Twenty-one stalks represent a powerful blessing.

You'll never find a traditional lucky bamboo arrangement with four stalks. In Chinese culture, the word for "four" is close to the word for "death," so a gift of four bamboo stalks would be considered very rude as if you had wished death on the recipient.

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Caring for Lucky Bamboo Plants
Lucky bamboo is a relatively easy plant to care for and will thrive in a light-filled home. It grows best in bright light. While it can tolerate lower light levels, it won't grow very much without a lot of bright light. Rotate your plant often so that the light reaches the entire plant evenly.

Most lucky bamboo arrangements feature the bamboo stalks growing in a decorative pot of water or planted in pebbles. Make sure that the water is always completely covering the roots. Add a bit of water as needed; depending on the temperature, this may be between two and seven days. Completely change the water every two to three months or more frequently if you find the water giving off a foul odor. Tap water is fine to use unless your tap water is hard (containing a lot of minerals). If so, use distilled or purified water.

The Right Container for Your Lucky Bamboo
A lucky bamboo arrangement in a low dish or bowl should have at least one inch of space between the stalks and the edge of the vessel. This space allows the roots to spread out and support the plant. If your stalks are growing in a large glass vase, be sure the vessel is proportionate to the bamboo's height and can support the stalks. The water level should be just enough to fully submerge the roots but not rise above to the stalks.

If your plant has outgrown the vessel, transplanting lucky bamboo is relatively easy. Start with a clean container that is slightly bigger than the current one. If your bamboo is growing in a pot of water, simply remove the stalks from the water, place them in a larger container and refill the water to the same level. If the lucky bamboo is growing in a pot of pebbles, gently dig up a planted lucky bamboo. Clean the pebbles with water before placing them in the new container. Carefully add the bamboo plant and take care to nestle the roots within the pebbles. You may need to add more pebbles to cover the roots and support the plant.

 

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Feng Shui Money Tree

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Choosing a Money Plant
There is some confusion in feng shui as to which plant species should be considered the proper money plant. The truth is you can use any healthy, lush plant because the significance of the symbol is in the plant's energy, not its name. Its energy of growth is what you hope to see reflected in your financial situation.

So picking a money plant comes down to personal preference. Consider what would look best in your space, as well as how much care the plant requires. Succulents and tropical plants are generally good choices because they are relatively easy to maintain, even for a gardening novice. Give them plenty of light and sufficient watering, and they should remain healthy. If your space doesn't offer enough light, consider using artificial lighting or choosing a plant that can tolerate low light.


It's also possible that a living plant just isn't for you. If you don't have a green thumb or an appropriate space for a plant, an artificial money plant might be a good option. You also can use vibrant images of lush foliage to bring the energy of abundance and growth into your space.


jade plant, this succulent has an abundant, happy feel to it and looks good in most homes and offices. Jade plants need a lot of light to thrive, so be sure your space is bright enough. But they don't require much water, as succulents store reserves in their leaves. Jade plants are easy to grow for most people and can assume a bonsai-like appearance with time. They are susceptible to mealy bugs and other pests, though they are rarely killed by them.

• Pachira aquatica: This tropical plant with a braided trunk is commonly called the money tree. Also referred to as P. glabra (which is actually another similar species), it is a type of bonsai tree that can grow quite tall. The plant needs plenty of light, as well as consistent watering. It is susceptible to scale and fungus gnats.

• Feng shui money tree: Often used in classical feng shui applications, this cure is sometimes sold with coins "growing" on a living plant. It also might come decorated with various crystals for added emphasis. Frequently, the plant sold as a feng shui money tree with coins and crystals is actually just an embellished Pachira aquatica.

money area of your home or office is the best place for a money plant. It's the area considered ideal for conducting financial tasks, and the money plant can enhance that energy.

• The health area is also welcoming of this feng shui cure. Plants represent a vibrant wood feng shui element and bring a nourishing energy to the space.

• In the fame area, a money plant can create good feng shui. That's because the wood element of the plant feeds the fire element of the fame and reputation area.

The worst feng shui location for a money plant is in the bathroom. This is because bathrooms, with their many drains, can sap energy from a space, creating the potential for your wealth to be flushed away.


It is also not ideal to display a money plant in your self-cultivation area or love area, as they are intended to nourish your spiritual growth and relationships, not your finances.

Use the right money tree for good feng shui.​

Explore the use (and prices) of classical feng shui money cures

If you are looking for an easy way to buy classical Chinese feng shui money cures for your home or office, here comes help.

Our on-line feng shui money shop allows you to compare prices on various classical feng shui money cures and products, as well as gives you the feng shui tips you might need in order to attract the energy of abundance.

The money tree is a popular feng shui cure for money. However, there are several plants used as a feng shui money cure. Which one should you use?

Find it online

There is a common confusion in feng shui as to which plant exactly is considered the feng shui money plant. Added to the confusion is the fact that you can also call a feng shui money plant the feng shui product that has many crystals and Chinese coins "growing" on a tree, also known as the gem tree. The money tree is used as a feng shui cure to attract the energy of wealth and prosperity. Its best location is in the

 

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