Did you know the Money Tree Plant in Feng Shui is regarded as a good luck symbol that attracts wealth and abundance?
Although it does not grow real money [pun intended], it is believed to bring fortune and wealth to anyone who cares for it.
However, that should not be the only reason to own a fantastic plant like the Money Tree.
The meaning of placing a Money Tree Plant at home indicates to bring good luck and positive energy. Moreover, placing the Money Tree plant in the office brings prosperity and wealth. Figuratively, its large leaves will evoke wealth and good fortune until you keep it healthy and alive.
Although synonymously used for the Money plant, another Feng shui plant that brings fortune, there are no distinct similarities between these two.
Read on to find out the symbolic and practical benefits of growing a Money Tree and where you can find new healthy plants.
Table of Contents
Overview of Money Tree
Money Tree (Pachira Aquatica) is not your usual houseplant; it amasses multiple trees braided together during growth to create a dwarf-like tree plant.
A broadleaf evergreen tree is native to Central and South America, but did you know the first ever ornamental Money Tree was cultivated in Taiwan?
You heard it right! A Taiwanese truck driver grew it as a Bonsai plant in the 1980s, quickly gaining popularity among the newly found admirers.
It was not too late until it found its admirers and dedicated growers.
Today, it is widely sold through exotic plant sellers worldwide as a dynamic Feng shui houseplant.
Here is an overview of the Money Tree plant.
| Indicator | Identity |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pachira aquatica |
| Common Name | Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Guiana chestnut, Provision tree, Saba nut, Monguba (Brazil), Pumpo (Guatemala) or Money Tree Plant |
| Native | Central and South America |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Growth Zone | USDA Zones 10-11 |
| Plant Type | Tropical wetland tree |
| Growth Size | 8 feet (indoors); 20-30 feet (outdoors) |
| Grown For | Fen shui properties, health benefits, ornamental leaves and braided stems |
| Foliage Type | Bright green palm looking leaves |
| Leaf size | Approx. 5-9" long and 4-5" wide |
| Flowering | Yellowish-white, with curly petals and 3-4" long red-tipped stamens |
| Flowering Season | Summer |
| Fruiting | Football shaped seeds pods reaching 12" in length that appear after flowering |
| Availability | Sold through exotic plant sellers |
| Toxicity | Non toxic to cats or dogs |
Although native to the Americas, it traveled thousands of miles to Taiwan and East Asian countries, where it is considered a prized possession and sold for hundreds of dollars.
Many gardeners wonder how Money Tree plants attain perfectly braided stems. It goes back to an old technique popularized by Liu in the 1980s, who decided to braid the stems of potted Pachira plants as they grew.
He struck gold when he found out that he only needed to maintain the braided stems in the early stage, and then the plant would continue growing in a braid.
Nurseries specializing in Money trees follow the same technique to make their plants appear more appealing.
Money Tree or Money Plant: Confusion Solved!
As previously mentioned, many novice gardeners confuse a Money plant with a Money tree plant because both plants signify the same purpose -good fortune.
The Money plant is a Pothos species that grows like a vine with bushier leaves and thinner stems. On the other hand, Money Tree boasts sturdier stems that grow bigger with the plant’s growth.
However, they share some traits as both houseplants are grown indoors and possess Feng shui benefits.
In fact, both plants are widely regarded by gardeners in South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, which may tell why they are often interchangeably used.
Here are the fundamental differences between the two favorite houseplants.
| Money Tree | Money Plant (Pothos) |
|---|---|
| Scientific name: Pachira Aquatica | Scientific name: Epipremnum aureum |
| It belongs to a Malvaceae family native to South America | It belongs to Pothos family native to Southeast Asia |
| The indoor grown Money tree is a dward species often grown as the ornamental plant | Indoor or outdoors, Money Plant is grown as a vining plant |
| The leaves get up 8-9" long and slender | The leaves retain the signature heartshape and boast size of about 3-5" long |
| Leaves grow in a cluster of 4-8 or more leaves at the stem's end | Leaves will grow evenly throughout the stem |
| Money tree grow in a cluster and may slowly retain their full size. | Money plant is a rapidly growing houseplant and manage to grow few feets within a year. |
Interestingly, there are two other plant species known as the money plant: Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) and the Chinese Money Plant (Pilea Peperomioides).
Similarly, Jade and Chinese Money plant like Pothos are often interchangeably used with Money Trees but are distinct plant species.
Money Tree: Meaning, Legend & Symbolism
If you have met a Money Tree admirer, you must have about the folktale surrounding the origin of the plant.
The name “Money Tree” comes from popular folklore about a poor man who prayed for money but was given this odd-looking plant instead.
He took it home as an omen and made money selling plants propagated from its seeds.
However, with passing time, gardeners begin desiring Money Trees to decorate their homes and offices, giving rise to its demand.
The elongated leaves are shaped like the Japanese bronze 100 Mon coin from the nineteenth century, giving the impression that they represent money.
Feng shui, the famous Chinese geomancy, even adopted the plant as one of the beneficial houseplants.
According to them, the plant positively affects the owner’s life and alters three different afflictions.
The Money Tree represents the five Feng Shui elements in balance: wood, water, fire, metal, and earth.
| Benefits | Properties |
|---|---|
| Good Luck | It is often added to home at the beginning of a new year to bring good luck or gifted as a housewarming present. |
| Wealth | It is often grown in offices or southeast areas of the house to attract wealth and fortune. |
| Prosperity | It is placed in the east area of the house to bring good health and prosperity. |
Many growers associate the plant’s sturdy stem and overgrown foliage with strength and power.
Even, Bonsai practitioners take up the challenge of creating miniature Money Trees at home to display their patience and concentration.
Moreover, the more leaves your plant boasts, the more luck and fortune it brings. (We will talk about this in detail)
Spiritual & Traditional Meaning of Money Tree
The Money Tree is one of the favorite Feng Shui plants and is widely regarded as a fortune-bearing oriental houseplant.
However, each geographical region where it has been a popular plant associates it with many things, including prosperity, luck, positive energy, and protection.
Let us delve into the spiritual and folk meaning of Money Tree.
1. Money Tree for Good Luck
Feng Shui claims that growing a Money Tree is a sign of luck.
Many Southeast Asia and China consider it a plant that brings good fortune.
Therefore, you must maintain the plant to keep it looking healthy.
2. Money Tree for Prosperity
Another significance of the Money Tree is prosperity. It is believed to enhance prosperity and abundance of wealth.
The folktale surrounding the plant’s origin also emphasizes that the plant brings prosperity.
Therefore, growers in the East Asian culture often gift it — in business and personal affairs.
3. Money Tree Positive Energy
Feng Shui and home decorators put Money Tree on the list of plants that exhumes positive energy, and rightly so!
The large, green leaves of Money Tree cleanse air-borne toxins while boosting oxygen contents.
4. Money Tree for Protection
The Money Tree plant protects its owner and surrounding areas.
Therefore, you grow them inside homes, such as in the living room or in the doorway, to keep the negative energy away.
Money Tree Meaning in Household & Business
Place the plant in the “Money area” of the home or office to bring prosperity and wealth!
Here is how it will fare when you keep them in different locations of your home and office.
1. Money Tree Meaning in Household
You can keep Money Tree at home to bring positive energy, good fortune, and balance.
Feng shui indicates that placing a money tree in your home balances the chi energies governing your finances and luck.
- Place the plant in the southeast of your home to bring wealth.
- When running a home office, place it near the southeast corner of windows to bring in luck.
- Introduce plants in the room of someone sick to help cure them sooner.
2. Meaning in Office or Business
Business owners and executives often exchange Money Tree whenever the other party opens a new business, expands its services, or undertakes a new challenge.
Exchanging the plant is an expression of well-wishing for good luck and prosperity and boosts the arrival abundance of wealth and prosperity.
- Retailers or restaurateurs should keep the plant near their shop entrance.
- Those dealing with money should keep the plant close to their cash register.
- Corporations often Money Trees in the lobby or traffic area near the entrance or reception.
- When kept in the office, consider placing it in the southeast corner.
- The plant should be located near manufacturing units’ accounting departments or factories.
Money Tree Meaning Based on Numbers of Leaves
Did you know the cluster of leaves on the Money Tree’s branch differs in number?
The branches may have four or five leaves at most, making a branch with six or more leaves a rarity and considered a sign of great fortune.
| No. of Leaves | Significance |
|---|---|
| 5 Leaves | They represents five elements of balance: earth, fire, water, wind, and metal. |
| 6 Leaves | They are believed to bring luck. |
| 7 Leaves | They are rumored to bring extra luck, such as for lottery. |
| 8 Leaves | They are very rare and priceless. |
Money Tree on Sale
You would fail to find the one with braided branches, although Money Tree plants are easily found in many nurseries.
Look at the exotic plant sellers worldwide to find some of the best-looking ornamental Money Tree plants.
| Buying Options | Delivery |
|---|---|
| Etsy | Delivery within 5-6 days |
| Bloomscape | Delivery within 2-5 days |
| Amazon | Delivery within 5-8 days (Over 12 days for international shipping) |
| Home Depot | Delivery within 1-5 days |
| Lively Root | Delivery within 1-2 days (Express) annd 4-7 days (Standard) |
Watch, the full video for Money Tree care tips,
Conclusion
Once you lay your hands on the Money Tree, never let it go.
Most old folks suggest you keep maintaining your Money Tree plant to pass it down to your children so they can too enjoy good fortune and luck.
Remember to provide your Money Tree with a mix of direct and indirect sunlight and rotate it regularly for even light distribution.
Moreover, water them scarcely, every three weeks, to prevent different water-borne problems.
Related Article: Everything You Need to Know About Growing Pilea (Money) Plant
