
The lucky bamboo meaning for number of stalks plays an important role in feng shui application and use. According to feng shui principles, the lucky bamboo plant attracts auspicious chi energy. It's a living example of feng shui elements water, wood, and earth. When placed in the correct pot, this easy care plant can introduce fire and metal for a complete balance of the five elements. Lucky bamboo plants are one of the most recognizable and popular feng shui cures.
Meaning of Lucky Bamboo Plant Stalk Numbers
Much of the luck that is associated with bamboo comes from the number of bamboo stalks bunched together or woven together into an arrangement. The number of lucky bamboo stalks determines the kinds of energy the Chinese good luck plant attracts into your home and life. The more stalks in the planter, the greater the blessing of good fortune and luck.
A Single Bamboo Stalk Is a Lucky Log
This is a certain kind of bamboo that looks like a log with no roots. You'll want to place one end in water so it can grow leaves and continuously produce new leaves. Lucky log bamboo is symbolic of a strong life that's filled with prosperity. This plant is a favorite for businesses to give as gifts, especially to other companies since it promises to keep the business growing. Some varieties produce fragrant white flowers in addition to the healthy green leaves.

Two Bamboo Stalks Symbolize Love
People often send two stalks of bamboo as an expression of love. This number also is said to double your luck.
"I just bought 3 bamboos yesterday. Today I got visited by my ex boss & got the job with salary increase." - Reader comment from Lina Jafar |
Three Lucky Bamboo Stalks Symbolize Three Kinds of Luck
The plant of three bamboo stalks is one of the most favorite number combinations to have in your home.

It brings three kinds of luck to you:
- Happiness: Fu
- Long Life: Soh
- Wealth: Lu (Career promotions)
Four Bamboo Stalks Draw Negative Energy
In the Chinese language, the word used as four sounds very similar to the word used for death. The number four has the same kind of connotation and draws sha (negative) energy. You'll never find a four-stalked bamboo plant in the Chinese culture; much less ever give one for a gift. To do so is extremely rude and would be interpreted that you're giving the recipient a death wish.
Five Bamboo Stalks Attract Health
With the number five, there's one stalk for every area of your life that can bring you wealth. The overall energy attracted to a five bamboo stalk plant is one of health, which is needed to benefit from any of the five areas of your life. You'll want to have a healthy career, healthy relationships, and more. The five stalk bamboo reinforces each of the five areas of your life that can influence the level of wealth for each area.
- Emotional
- Intuitive
- Mental
- Physical
- Spiritual
"A co-worker gave me a lucky bamboo for Christmas last year, and my bad luck went away. I'm really enjoying my good luck." -- Reader comment from TinaD76 |
Six Bamboo Stalks Attract Prosperity
Six in the Chinese language also sounds like the word luck. Six stalks of bamboo attracts prosperity and advantages to achieve greater wealth.

Seven Bamboo Stalks Bestow Good Health
Seven stalks of bamboo bestows good health to you.
Eight Bamboo Stalks Foster Growth
Once more the Chinese language plays a big part in this number's law of attraction. Eight sounds like the word used for grow or thrive. Eight stalks also improves fertility.
Nine Bamboo Stalks Symbolize Luck
This is the symbol for good luck and bestows great luck to whoever receives a nine stalk plant.
Ten Bamboo Stalks Represent Completion
If you have a ten stalk bamboo arrangement then the wish for you is to feel complete and complacent. The hope is that you find your life to be perfect. The sender wants you to have everything in life just as you envision and desire.
Twenty-One Bamboo Stalks Wish Enduring Health
If someone has gifted you with a plant with this number of bamboo stalks, then the well wishes for you and your family are being delivered in a very powerful overall blessing for great wealth and enduring health.
Lucky Bamboo vs. Other Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is not the kind of bamboo you're accustomed to seeing. This variety is smaller and related to the dracaenas family. The varieties of bamboo growing in gardens and mountainsides grow rapidly with runners that can overtake a yard. Lucky bamboo doesn't grow rapidly. Its roots only grow a few inches and can't produce runners. The sprouts also experience limited growth. These characteristics make it an ideal house plant.
"I just bought a lucky bamboo from a flea market (that) has 4 stalks, I did not know this meant death. What should I do?" -- Reader question from Angela Lieblang Schueler |
Bamboo Symbolism
Bamboo has long been the Chinese symbol for strength. Many admire the bamboo's qualities of fast-growth and resilience. In Chinese, lucky bamboo is known as Fu Gwey Zhu.
- Fu: Luck and fortune
- Gwey: Power and honor
- Zhu: Bamboo
Give a Lucky Bamboo Gift
Many people give this kind of plant for housewarming gifts, birthdays, anniversaries, grand openings, awards, achievements, and other auspicious occasions. Receiving this plant as a gift increases your luck. Choose an elaborate woven lattice design or an arrangement of individual stalks twisted and tied together with red ribbon.

How Lucky Bamboo Is Curled
You may have seen photos or an actual curly lucky bamboo plant that is curled, wavy, or has several stalks woven together. It grows like other bamboo and appears to be a straight stick plant. The growth of this plant is carefully controlled in order to make it curl. Growers place the stalks on a flat table in a greenhouse. Three sides of the stalk receive no light while one side is exposed to bright light so it grows in that direction. To achieve the curl or wave, the stalk is manipulated and rotated. Curling the stalk can take up to a year or a year and a half to achieve.
Creating Harmony in Your Home
You can use lucky bamboo to help you achieve harmony in your home. Use the meanings for the number of stalks to ensure you select the best plant for your need. Never place plants in a bedroom, even if it's a lucky bamboo. This creates too much yang energy and will have an inauspicious effect. One of the best locations to place a lucky bamboo plant is in the east or south sector of your home or office.