# Why does my bamboo always die?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 3, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238 "2008-07-03T22:17:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![metronome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@metronome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metronome)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238/1 "2008-07-03T22:17:18Z")

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Every time The Mr. and I go to Ikea, we pick up one or two of those little bamboo plants – the kind that come with a water container like the one florists use. They look very much alive when we buy them. We bring the little bamboos home, put them in a vase with enough water to cover the roots, and they die within two weeks.

Clearly, we’re doing something wrong. What is it?

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238/2 "2008-07-03T23:26:06Z")

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Is this the [lucky bamboo](http://luckybambooshop.com/) stuff? Those aren’t really bamboo…they’re Dracaena species, which are a completely different plant family.

[Here are care instructions for lucky bamboo](http://luckybambooshop.com/catalog/care_instructions.php?osCsid=4c006e3550256f3464126915c27a2bcc). Does your city water have a lot of fluoride? Fluoride is apparently toxic to Dracaena.

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**Author:** ![metronome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@metronome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metronome)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238/3 "2008-07-03T23:33:24Z")

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Oh, yep, that’s what it is! Weird, I use filtered water and I don’t put it in direct sunlight.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238/4 "2008-07-03T23:40:53Z")

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[QUOTE=metronome]  
Oh, yep, that’s what it is! Weird, I use filtered water and I don’t put it in direct sunlight.  
[/QUOTE]

Not all water filters remove fluoride. You should check your filter specs to see if it does.

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**Author:** ![metronome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@metronome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metronome)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238/5 "2008-07-04T00:54:39Z")

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[QUOTE=jayjay]  
Not all water filters remove fluoride. You should check your filter specs to see if it does.  
[/QUOTE]

Wow, I didn’t know that. I’ll have to check the box next time I buy a refill. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![hortguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@hortguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hortguy)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-bamboo-always-die/455238/6 "2008-07-04T02:40:43Z")

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Fluoride is lethal to most plants over long periods of time, I would be more worried about the process that is used to filtrate the water you are buying, I know for a fact that some forms of purification can actually increase salts, which, will also kill your plants.