Question

Plant   Hi Will,

A friend gave me a potted plant about a year ago, and it was maybe
18" high at the time. It is now about 3 feet, and the stalks no longer keep the plant upright. It looks like it may be a type of planted bamboo, it has two tall stalks, and only has leaves at the top. The leaves are about 3-6" long and maybe .5 - 2" across,  smooth edges comes to a non-sharp point. I don't know what type of plant it is, so I have no idea how to trim it down without killing it.

What is this plant called? Can this plant be trimmed, if so how?

Thank you,
Cassandra

Answer
Hi Cassandra,

Thank you for the photo. In the US, your plant is commonly called Lucky Bamboo because it somewhat resembles Bamboo. However, it is not even a close relative of Bamboo. It is a Dracaena sanderiana.

Yours looks healthy, but overgrown. Pruning it back will shorten the plant, but also give you some additional cuttings that you can root in the same pot.

I suggest that you cut off the tops of each stem so that the top cuttings have 6-8 leaves each. Remove the lowest set of leaves on each stem cutting and insert the bare stems into the soil. If you keep the soil properly moist (allowing the top half-inch of soil to dry between waterings), then the cuttings will root and grow upward, filling out the lower portion of the plant with more foliage.

New growth will emerge on the original stems just below where you make the pruning cuts. If the stems are still too tall, you can cut them again further down.

As long as the plant's roots are healthy, then pruning will have no adverse effect on the health of the plant, although it will alter its appearance, which is what you want.

I have written articles on pruning and propagation that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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