Dracaena sanderiana

Dracaena sanderiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Central Africa. It was named after the German–English gardener Henry Frederick Conrad Sander (1847–1920). The plant is commonly marketed as "lucky bamboo," which has become one of its common names, although it is not a species of bamboo.

Names

Common names include Sander's dracaena, ribbon dracaena, lucky bamboo, curly bamboo, Chinese water bamboo, Goddess of Mercy's plant, Belgian evergreen. It is also called the ribbon plant, although the same common name is sometimes used for Chlorophytum comosum (also known as the spider plant). While the word bamboo occurs in several of this plant's common names, D. sanderiana is of an entirely different taxonomic order from true bamboos – though this plant and true bamboos both fall under the monocot clade. Despite several of its common names that suggest it is from China or Belgium, it is a native West African species. Dracaena sanderiana is also often confused with Dracaena braunii, a plant from coastal West Africa with flowers 5 times shorter than those of D. sanderiana.

Description

A perennial herb reaching a height of 100 cm (39 in), the plant has slightly twisted, gray-green leaves which grow to around 23 cm (9 in). Its fleshy stem distinguishes it from bamboo. Over time, the plant's stem becomes unsteady with the added weight of new growth. Regular trimmings are needed to ensure the shape of this plant stays neat and manageable while it grows.