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Pachira spp.
The money tree, aka Guiana, Malabar, or water chestnut (Pachira aquatica), is a broadleaf evergreen perennial native to wetlands and marshes in Mexico and northern regions of South America.
This species bears five-lobed, hand-like leaves. When young, the bark is green and pliable, becoming gray, corky, and rigid as it matures.
The trunk may swell as it stores water during periods of ample moisture, an adaptation that helps the money tree survive occasional dry spells.
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Suited to outdoor cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12, money tree is also a popular houseplant believed to bring good luck and contribute to positive Feng Shui in the home.
In the wild, money trees can reach up to 60 feet tall, but when cultivated as a houseplant they top out at about six to eight feet.
This article discusses all you need to know to grow a money tree indoors as a houseplant.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
In its native habitat, the money tree produces showy, fragrant flowers in spring, with yellowish-white petals and dense brush-like red-tipped stamens.
Large pods follow, containing seeds historically used in traditional medicine. Indoors, potted specimens rarely bloom.
Those grown as houseplants often feature several straight trunks braided together for decorative appeal. Some growers train them as bonsai specimens.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Money tree, Guiana chestnut, Malabar chestnut
Plant type: Broadleaf evergreen perennial
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 10-12 (outdoors)
Native to: Mexico, Central America, northern South America
Bloom time / season: Spring (rare indoors)
Exposure: Bright, indirect light
Soil type: Loose, moisture-retentive, well-draining
Soil pH: 6.0-7.0, slightly acidic to neutral
Time to maturity: 5-10 years
Mature size: 6-8 feet high and wide as a houseplant
Best uses: Bonsai, floor or table houseplant, rain garden
Taxonomy
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Pachira
Species: Aquatica, glabra
Like lucky bamboo, another tropical ornamental, money trees are frequently adorned with red ribbons or charms to symbolize prosperity.
A closely related species, the Guinea or French peanut, P. glabra, has cream-colored flowers with matching cream stamens, and smooth, gray bark.
Even in its early stages of growth, the stems are noticeably swollen.
It’s not unusual to find P. glabra foliage grafted onto P. aquatica trunks in commercial specimens and the species are often listed interchangeably on the houseplant market.
A legend tells of a financially challenged Taiwanese farmer who prayed for a miracle, found the tree growing in his field, and was able to sell the seeds for a profit, hence the name “money tree.”
The species is also prized for having a lifespan of 50 to 150 years.
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Nan Schiller
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