Yellow Leaves – Not So Bad?

I’m by no means a plant expert, but I try to keep a few plants thriving, or at least living. I’m definitely a big fan of bamboo for two main reasons: (1) It’s pretty and (2) It’s SO easy to take care of! Recently, the bamboo I keep on my desk started to have some yellow leaves and I got concerned. For months, the stalks had all been flourishing, green as can be and then, somewhat suddenly, there were yellow leaves, which concurred with a brief abandonment. At first, I thought my lack of attention was to blame, but after some research I found out that a bamboo plant’s leaves will turn yellow and fall off the plant as a normal part of the growth process. (Excellent news – so it was not my fault!) This process occurs throughout the year as bamboo grows new leaves and recycles its old leaves.

Lesson learned: Yellow leaves do not necessarily equal a sick or dying plant, but are a natural part of growth and they will fall off on their own (so I can stop compulsively plucking them off as they appear). You actually should let the leaves fall off on their own because the natural mulch supplies the bamboo with silica and that helps future growth.

Yellow leaves (here and there), you are now my friends (at least while my bamboo is still living)!

Photo Credit: AllNaturalAnnie.com