Money tree (Pachira aquatica)

All about the Pachira

If you’re looking for a tree-like plant for your indoor space, you don’t need to look any further. Pachira Aquatica is the perfect indoor tree, not only for its look but also because this particular plant doesn’t require a lot of care.

The Money Tree grows quite tall in the wild, but indoors it stays to a lower height. Moreover, as an indoor plant, the tree won’t provide any flowers as it would do outdoors on the ground. Other than that, water and fertilize, and your plant is good to go.

The beauty of this plant is the stems; they can be three, five, or seven, which are braided together at the bottom and spread out at the top. The leaves are wide and shiny, giving the tree an umbrella effect. Each stalk has five bright green leaves; some luckier plants even have seven.

Nicknames

Pachira Aquatica is more famously known as the Money Tree plant. Those who believe in Feng Shui, keep this plant in their business or home space as they feel this plant is a good luck charm for prosperity.

Origin of the Pachira

The Money Tree originates from the tropical regions of South and Central America.

How to take care of the Pachira Aquatica

Watering

To check if the plant requires water, touch the soil with your finger. Only water when the top is dry, usually once a week. Try not to overwater the plant as it can’t tolerate waterlogged roots since it’ll cause root rot. The stems thicken at the bottom, giving them space to store water.

During Winter, when the plant is resting, decrease the watering to one every ten to fourteen days, giving it plenty of time to use the water from its storage tank.

Since the tree doesn’t like the soil to be soggy and the roots to not be waterlogged, make sure to use a potting medium with a proper drainage system. This means that the pot should have small holes at the bottom which drain out the excess water.

Location

The Money Tree isn’t fussy about the light it receives. It can tolerate both direct and indirect light, as long as the direct light isn’t for more than a few hours, especially not during the midday period. To avoid the scorching of the leaves, you can turn the plant around to ensure all sides receive an equal amount.

One of the best things about this plant is its ability to tolerate fluorescent lighting, which means it can as easily survive in an indoor office space. All you need to ensure is that the other kinds of care for the plant are up to the mark.

As the Money Tree originated from tropical climates, they prefer warmer temperatures, around and above 23°C. Although they prefer this temperature, they can also survive in temperatures lower than 10°C, as long as the rest of the care is adequate.

Furthermore, this plant loves high levels of humidity. Whenever you pass by the plant, spray a water mist around it. You can even spray water on the leaves to clean the leaves from any dust particles that have settled.

Plant Nutrition

To provide an additional boost to your plant, you can fertilize it every couple of weeks during the growing months. Use fertilizers at only half strength. Try not to overfeed your plant, as it tends to boost growth without developing proper crown heads.

Don’t fertilize the plant during the resting months, and also not the year when you’ve repotted the plant. The new soil will provide rich nutrients for the plant to absorb.

If you spot the roots coming out of the drainage holes at the bottom, this means your plant is ready to be repotted. When you take the plant out, go over the roots gently in order to cleanly cut the damaged roots. Repot the plant in a pot that is one size larger than the previous one.

One important thing to bear in mind after repotting is to place the plant in a shaded area instead of direct sunlight. The plant will require getting used to in a new medium and requires a shaded area.

Toxicity

Even though the Money Tree is not toxic for humans and animals, this doesn’t mean they should be chewed on.

Propagation of the Money Tree

Using sterilized shears, cut off a 6 cm piece from a healthy stem, making sure there are a few leaves attached. From the bottom, remove any leaves and dip the cutting into water. Shake off the water and dip the cutting into a rooting hormone.

Next, make a hole in the pot using a stick or a pencil. Place the bottom of the cutting carefully into the pot. Water it and cover it loosely with a plastic bag. This will trap the moisture and the humidity. If you can’t spot condensation inside the plastic, this means the pot hasn’t been watered enough.

Give the new plant indirect sunlight, and in a few weeks, it’ll have grown roots. Then you can treat it as you would any other Money Tree.