The money tree is supposed to be a representation of good luck, fortune, and abundance. It is very popular in feng shui communities all over East Asia. They are also rumoured to bring prosperity and good fortune into your life. So a money tree makes a great lucky gift for a grad or friend beginning a new life chapter. Buying one to manifest good things in your home is always a great idea. Go further to find out all about how to take care of a money tree plant and money tree plant care tips so that yours remains happy and healthy.
The money tree plant is tropical and native to Central and South America. Typically, the trees grow through marshy wetlands where there is plenty of moisture and high humidity. Inside, the best results will come if you can provide same natural growing conditions.
Place your money tree in a bright, indirect light spot within the room to achieve optimal results. An excellent position would be a sunny window that has plenty of ambient light for your plant. Too much sunlight can burn the leaves, causing brown patches to form. Too little light and leaves tend to turn yellow. Rotate your plant a little each time you water to keep the growth even and not fall toward the light.
The ideal growing temps for a money tree is 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Indoors, place your plant away from drafts, which means away from an exterior door or heating/cooling vent. If you're growing your plant outdoors, it's hardy in Zone 10 to 11. When air temperatures fall into the upper 40s, it's time to bring your plant inside or protect it as best you can from the chill.
Assuming that you're someone who chronically over-waters houseplants, then a money tree plant may be just the ticket for you. It actually likes the soil to be a little on the moist side. The botanical name is Pachira aquatica. The species name gives a clue with regard to what kind of moisture this plant prefers. However, when you grow it inside, you must not overwater; this could kill the plant. Don't allow it to sit in water, especially overnight. Ideally, you should allow time for the soil to dry before watering again for an indoor money tree plant. Read more about Best Watering Tips for Happy, Healthy Plants.
Money tree plants like the humidity on the higher side. Use a humidifier, a pebble tray filled with water, or you can mist the plant often.
Use a regular houseplant fertilizer to feed your money tree. Just follow direct instructions and dilute the plant food to half strength. Your money tree plant only needs nutrients up to twice a year at the beginning of spring, and once again in the middle of summer. In most locations, avoid fertilizing during the winter months.
It's very common to find several money tree plants in the same pot with the trunks braided together. This doesn't hurt the plants. Some growers say that the braid helps to "lock in" money tree's good fortune. After trunks are braided, they keep on growing in that form. You can always prune away any branches that sprout or threaten to deform the braid. As the tree ages, the trunks grow fatter and fuse, creating a striking plant.
With a braided trunk, money tree plant easily get attention in any setting. To add your own signature style to your plant, consider covering the soil surface with items that relate to the plant's native wetland setting, such as polished river rock, glass fishing floats or sea glass.
Alternatively, you can topdress with a living ground cover like Calathea or baby's tears (Soleirolia soleirolii). But just make sure it's house plant ground cover material with like growing needs and has the same growing conditions as the money tree plant. Good candidates for grouping include peace lily, snake plant (Sansevieria), Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) or fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata). Read more about Top 10 best Houseplants for Beginners.
Yellow leaves occur when a plant gets too much water. If it feels like a saturated sponge, you should hold off on watering until it dries out. You might even want to repot your money tree in some fresh potting mix, this time mixed with a blend that runs well, something like a cactus mix. You might need to feed fertilizer to your money tree plant if their leaves are turning yellow and the soil is dry.
Brown leaves with crispy edges usually result from not enough humidity. You could enhance the humidity around the plant by grouping it with other indoor plants, or you could keep the pot on a pebble tray that was partially filled with water. You could keep the air moist by sprinkling your plant or using a humidifier.
The dropping leaves usually result from overwatering or low temperatures. Most plants recover from either once the problem is corrected.
Money tree plants do often fall prey to bugs such as aphids and scaling, but an applying neem oil typically does the trick. Pests like that can do significant damage to your plant, so deal with them at the first sign to avoid leaves that are loose, drooping, or dying. Read more about Homemade plant sprays.
In most cases, if the leaves are yellowing or browning, it is either from overwatering or underwatering your money tree. If the leaves are curling, it is probably from underwatering.
The suspicion might be wrong because overwatering isn't always the cause.
Note: If your money tree has soft stems or trunk, your suspicion might just be wrong.
Soft and squish or slightly softened stem or trunk of a plant means you are overwatering. The answer here is to find somewhere with more sun and lay off the watering.
