Money tree (Pachira aquatica) care

Trees · easy to keep

Money tree (Pachira aquatica) wants bright indirect light. Water it every 8 days. Water thoroughly when the top half of the pot is dry, then let it drain completely. Every week or two is typical indoors. Pot it in free-draining compost with perlite or sand. Balanced feed at half strength monthly in spring and summer, and repot every 1.5 years. Humidity: above 50% is appreciated. Non-toxic to cats and dogs, and one of the few genuinely safe larger houseplants.

The money tree: several young trunks braided together while soft, topped with palmate leaves of five to seven leaflets. It is a swamp tree in the wild, which is why it tolerates a heavier pot than most, and it is one of very few larger houseplants that is completely non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick facts

Water: Water every 8 days. Water thoroughly when the top half of the pot is dry, then let it drain completely. Every week or two is typical indoors.
Light: Bright indirect light.
Humidity: Above 50% is appreciated.
Soil: Free-draining compost with perlite or sand.
Feeding: Balanced feed at half strength monthly in spring and summer.
Repotting: Repot every 1.5 years.
Toxic to pets: Non-toxic to cats and dogs, and one of the few genuinely safe larger houseplants.
Difficulty: Easy.
Mature size: 1–2 m indoors.
Native to: Central and South America.

Watering a Money tree

Water every 8 days. Water thoroughly when the top half of the pot is dry, then let it drain completely. Every week or two is typical indoors.

That cadence is the one PlantParlour sets for this species when you name it, and it is deliberately on the cautious side — a plant that asks a day early is safer than one that asks a day late. Log each watering and the reminder moves with the plant rather than with the calendar.

Light

Bright indirect light. Direct midday sun scorches the leaflets; deep shade makes the stems stretch and the braid open up.

Humidity and temperature

Above 50% is appreciated. Central heating in winter is what turns a comfortable room into a dry one, and it is the usual reason an established plant suddenly browns at the edges or picks up spider mites.

Soil and potting

Ordinary compost with a third perlite or coarse sand. The swollen trunk stores water, so the mix must not.

Feeding

Balanced feed at half strength monthly in spring and summer. Stop feeding in autumn and start again when you see new growth in spring — feeding a plant that isn't growing just builds up salts in the pot.

Repotting

Repot every 1.5 years. Every second or third spring. Braided specimens are several young trees planted together — they can be separated at repotting if you would rather have one proper tree.

Common problems

Yellow leaves dropping from the bottom
Overwatering. The trunk is a reservoir and does not need help.

Fix: Water less often and make sure the pot is not standing in water.
Leaflets going brown and crisp at the edges
Dry air.

Fix: Raise the humidity — group it with other plants or run a humidifier.
The braid loosening and stems going bare
Too little light.

Fix: Move it brighter and prune the tops back in spring to force branching.

Propagation

Stem cuttings in spring, rooted in damp compost under a bag; expect a low success rate compared with an aroid.

A cutting taken in PlantParlour keeps its link to the plant it came from, so a propagation years later still traces back to the mother plant — which is the point if you ever sell or trade it.

Toxicity and safety

Non-toxic to cats and dogs, and one of the few genuinely safe larger houseplants.

Questions people ask

How often should you water a Money tree?

Water every 8 days as a starting point — that is the cadence PlantParlour sets for Pachira aquatica. Water thoroughly when the top half of the pot is dry, then let it drain completely. Every week or two is typical indoors. Light, pot size and the time of year all move that number, so treat it as a reminder to go and check rather than a rule.

How much light does a Money tree need?