The truth about bamboo The truth about bamboo (February 18, 2005)

How to tell the difference between real and "lucky" bamboo

By Mari Sapina-Kerkhove

You see them everywhere -- in gift shops, Asian specialty stores and even at the local mall.

Long regarded as a token of good fortune in Asian cultures, lucky bamboo -- green, curly stems displayed in vases of water -- is making an increasing appearance in Western homes.

The Mountain View Tea Village & Gallery on Castro Street sees customers of all cultural backgrounds walking through its doors, in search of the plant known for its easy maintenance.

"It usually lasts really long," said Ann Chien, owner of the store. "Just make sure it has clean water."

The plant generally thrives in all lighting conditions; and as long as it is kept in water and away from direct sunlight, next to nothing will kill it, she said.

But there is one little-known fact about lucky bamboo: it has nothing to do with actual bamboo plants.

In botanical terms, what is commonly referred to as lucky bamboo is a dracaena, a tropical plant often cultivated for indoor use. Bamboo, on the other hand, belongs to the grass family.

Gordon Holler, founder and former curator of Foothill College's renowned bamboo garden, suspects that the distinctive segmented stems -- a common characteristic of lucky bamboo and actual bamboo plants -- might have contributed to the confusion.

Among the main characteristics of bamboo plants, he said, are their branches, coloration and striping. The plant's wispy foliage and slender stems evoke a sense of lightness and serenity.

"It's open, airy and graceful," Holler said, while walking through Foothill College's garden of more than 70 species of bamboo.

The area features everything from 12-inch-high ground covers to tall bamboo plants with deep yellow, black or striped stems.

Because certain types of bamboo fare better in certain climates, a bamboo that reaches a height of 40 feet in the Bay Area may grow up to 100 feet in some Asian countries, Holler said. But generally the plant grows in a wide range of climates, with about 1,500 species across the world and 450 species in the United States and Canada.

While there are specialized growers and retailers in the United States that carry numerous bamboo species, gardeners sold on the plant's benefits of attractive looks and easy maintenance can find the more common types of bamboo at their local nurseries.

Steve Golba, a shrub buyer at Mountain View's Summer Winds nursery, said the store is usually stocked with Golden Bamboo, Buddha's Belly and Mexican Weeping, and customers seem happy with the choices.

"They're really hardy for this area, and they're easy to grow," he said.

Known for its fast growth rate (bamboo grows to its full height in one season, with some species in Asia growing as much as 4 feet a day), the plant is also popular as a privacy screen in back yards and patios, Golba said.

Dick Guertin, who lives in the Cuesta Park neighborhood, said the 12-foot "wall of bamboo" along the back of his house establishes plenty of privacy, but it also filters sunlight.

Guertin and his wife, Dee, already had the bamboo in their backyard when they bought their house in the 1970s. They are still not sure what type of bamboo it is, Guertin said, but they never had a reason to take it down.

"I've always been told that bamboo is a problem, but we've had this one for years and it never has been," he said.

Because of its spreading habit and rapid growth, the plant sometimes has a negative reputation as a highly invasive plant that is hard to control. While that's the case for numerous bamboo species, it is important to distinguish between "clumping" and "running" species, Holler said.

Runners have a long rootstock that grows horizontally and can become invasive toward surrounding plants. While gardeners can install root barriers to control the root growth, Holler said it's often easier to plant clumping species instead.

Clumpers are less aggressive towards other plants because they have very compact root systems where canes grow closely together and expand slowly in a circle. Generally all types of hedge bamboo such as Alphonse Karr are clumping species suitable for backyard planting, Holler said.

Both runners and clumpers make for great patio plants that can be cut back whenever necessary. Holler suggested getting boxes 20 inches tall and 24 inches long and to provide for sufficient drainage.

"One way to kill it is to let it sit in water," Holler said.

And what about bamboo as an indoor plant?

"I always tell people, 'Would you grow grasses indoors?'" he said.

It's possible to grow certain species inside, Holler said, especially when put under fluorescent plant lighting. The rule of thumb is, the darker and broader the leaves, the better the plant will adjust to indoor lighting, he said.

Since bamboo is an outdoor plant, lucky bamboo may be the best indoor option -- if you can overlook the fact that it's not a bamboo, that is.

The Mountain View Tea Village & Gallery carries numerous decorative lucky bamboo arrangements where the stems have been intertwined in elaborate patterns and tied with ribbons. The familiar curling of the stems, Chien said, is achieved by continuously turning the plant toward the light source.

Larger arrangements at the store cost up to $80, but small individual stems of lucky bamboo start at 50 cents each -- an unbeatable price for a piece of luck.

E-mail Mari Sapina-Kerkhove at mvvoicehg@yahoo.com

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