Plant care library / Money Tree

How to Care for a Money Tree

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About Money Tree

Though native to Mexico and South America, the Money Tree rose to fame in East Asia, where it is cultivated as one of the luckiest ornaments, symbolizing prosperity. Its trunk is believed to hold within its folds good fortune, and its palmate leaves resemble open hands offering great abundance. Despite its outstanding appearance and symbolic meaning, this evergreen is very easy to care for, and makes for a great indoor plant.

Other common names

  • Pachira Aquatica
  • Malabar Chestnut
  • Guiana Chestnut
  • Provision Tree

How Often Should I Water My Money Tree?

With easyplant, watering your Money Tree is simple. Make sure to check the easyplant reservoir once a month and fill it when empty, and you're all set!

Water every 1 Month

Money Tree Light Needs

Money Tree grows best in a space with bright direct light, where the sunlight streams inside directly, and can also adapt to spaces with bright indirect light, where the sun rays are diffused. Avoid placing it in spaces with low light or spaces without natural sunlight.
Light requirement ab

Money Tree Plant Care

On your Money Trees’s first few days at home, it may lose several leaves, or leaves will turn yellow. This is no reason for concern. Simple shake off or cut the leaf, and look forward to new and better adjusted leaves to grow. For best adjustment, avoid moving the pot around the house too much, and allow it to adjust to one spot. To help it grow optimally and evenly, occasionally dust the leaves and rotate the pot by a ¼ turn once a month. To maintain its aesthetic shape and height, you may periodically prune it to your liking.

How Big Do Money Tree Plants Grow?

Money Tree tends to grow fast and, in maturity, can reach anywhere from 20 to 30 feet tall outdoors. Indoors, money trees grow between six and eight feet tall.

Temperature & Humidity

Money trees are well-suited to indoor living because they thrive in temperatures ranging from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit—the temperature many households keep anyway. But be careful: While an occasional cold draft won’t kill it right away, take care to keep your money tree away from less-insulated spaces during fall and winter seasons. Money tree temperatures have some wiggle room, but will be less than thrilled to experience a cold wind gust. These trees also prefer some humidity, partly attributed to their native habitat of South America. You can increase your money tree’s humidity levels by using a humidifier of placing it next to a pebble tray

Are Money Tree Toxic for Pets & Kids?

Money Trees are non-toxic and safe for humans and animals alike.

Troubleshooting Common Problems with Money Tree

If you notice leaves becoming spotted in black or yellow, relocate the pot to a more brightly lit area. If you notice a leaf becoming weak or droopy, cut to remove the entire leaf and relocate the pot to a more brightly lit area. If you notice leaves becoming too long or leggy, relocate the pot to a less brightly lit area.

Frequently Asked Questions about Money Tree Plant

  • What are other common names for Money Trees?
    Open What are other common names for Money Trees?

    The money tree received its name when a poor man prayed for prosperity and encountered the money tree instead. While he didn’t stumble upon a pot of gold, he did find a fortune selling the tree’s seeds. Among the other common money tree names:

    1. Pachira aquatica
    2. Malabar chestnut
    3. Guiana chestnut
    4. Provision tree

    While the money tree might sometimes be referred to as a money plant, it should not be confused with its sibling plants, the crassula ovata and the pilea peperomioides (commonly known as the Chinese money plant).

  • Where should I place a money tree in my house?
    Open Where should I place a money tree in my house?

    For ideal light, seek spaces with bright, indirect sunlight where it can soak up the sun for at least six hours. For the best feng shui, place your money tree in the southeast corner of the home and avoid placing it in a bathroom. Otherwise, consider putting it in your “wealth corner,” which is considered the far-left corner from the entrance of a room. More broadly, these are popular plants in a workspace as a constant reminder of — you guessed it — money.

  • Is a money tree easy to take care of?
    Open Is a money tree easy to take care of?
    How do I care for a money tree? Fortunately, with a few exceptions, these are fairly easy plants to care for. A balance of light and water will keep them a manageable six-to-eight feet in height. Money trees are also difficult to overwater and take a standard quick-draining soil mixture and fertilizer. Just make sure the pot has drainage.  For those who want to manage the size of the plant to be a bonsai, make sure to prune the lower leaves regularly. This has the added benefit of promoting new and healthy growth.