Money tree
Also called Malabar chestnut, Guiana chestnut, Braided money tree.
| Light | bright indirect light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 10 days in the growing season, every 21 in winter |
| Humidity | medium |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 180 cm (71 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Pachira aquatica.
In the wild this is a swamp tree from Central and South America, growing in standing water, which makes it slightly odd that the commonest way to kill one indoors is overwatering. The reason is the trunk: it swells at the base and stores water, so in a pot it behaves far more like a succulent than a marsh plant. Soak it and then let the top half dry. The plaited trunk everybody recognises is not natural either; it is several young stems braided together while they are still green and then grown on. Give it bright light, a pot that drains, and a steady position, and it is one of the easier indoor trees.
Ailments observed
| Yellow leaves at the bottom of the plant | Compost kept wet, which is what almost every unhappy money tree is suffering from. Let the top half dry between waterings and check the pot drains. A tree in a decorative sleeve with no hole is the usual culprit. |
|---|---|
| Leaves falling off | A move, a draught, or a swing between soaked and bone dry. Settle it somewhere steady and water on a rhythm. It releafs readily from bare stems. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner, Statement plants
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