Money Tree

Money Tree Symbolism

The Money Tree is a perfect plant for all of you who want to attract prosperity and enjoy having plants in your home!

Just for the record the official name of the Money Tree is Pachira Aquatica. I would think that the only people who use the official name are professional gardeners. Throughout the world it is commonly only known as the Money Tree.

These have become quite popular plants. The Money tree is a symbol of wealth and good fortune. I’m sure you have seen one at a Chinese restaurant, an office or even maybe at shopping mall.

I spotted a Money Tree in the entrance hall of an apartment building. What a wonderful place to keep this auspicious plant.

It was as if it was greeting all the residents of the building with blessings of prosperity and good luck as they walked past it to get to the elevators.

Lock in the Money

One of the characteristics of this plant is the braided trunks. The tradition pf braiding the trunks all started in Taiwan. It was a Taiwanese truck driver in 1986 who first got the idea.

He claimed that braiding the trunks would ensure the wealth energy stayed “sealed inside”. That way anyone bringing a new plant into their home could be certain that the wealth vibes still were contained within the plant.

This symbolism became extremely popular, not only in Taiwan but also worldwide. Taiwan has certainly taken advantage of the popularity of the plants and has become a mayor exporter of these brilliant plants. The notion that these plants bring prosperity has certainly become true for the Taiwanese agriculture export business!  

Legend of the Money Tree

It may come as no surprise that the legend also originated in Taiwan. It remains only a legend as there is absolutely no proof that the story is true.

As the legend goes a poor farmer kept hoping and dreaming about better times. He constantly prayed to the gods to bless him with good fortune.

One day feeling hopeless he decided to take a walk through his pitiful fields to clear his mind. It was during this walk he spotted a plant he had not noticed before. Being a lover of nature, he saw the beauty of this peculiar plant.

The farmer brought the plant back to the farm house. He cared for it carefully and started to propagate new plants. His luck turned miraculously.  From that day on his income increased by the day. The once poor farmer became a man of extreme wealth!

Leaf symbolism of the Money Tree

Traditionally this plant has five leaves in a cluster. The number five is an auspicious number in Feng Shui as it represents the five elements; water, wood, fire, metal and earth. It is a complete balance, taking care of all aspects of our vital world.

Sometimes you may find more than five leaves together on a stem. Six and also seven leaves in a cluster can sometimes be found.

Whatever you do, do not cut off those extra leaves. Any plant with more than five leaves on a stem is considered to bring extreme amounts of good luck! It’s time to count your blessings!

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Where to place the Money Tree

The Money Tree likes bright but indirect light. Placing it close to a window would be a good choice.

You may also want to consider Feng Shui to increase your luck. The obvious place would be in the South-East area as this is your wealth zone. The plant might just give this zone a stronger energy.

There is nothing wrong with placing your wealth plant in other areas of your home. Think about the most suited places for your plant to thrive having the right amount of light.

To the South of your home, you have the fame and reputation zone. The South-West represents your relationships. In the East area you have the family zone and in the West is the creativity and children zone.

The North represents you career. In the North-East is your self-development area and the North-West is for travel and helpful friends. Finally, you will find your health zone smack in the middle.

Caring for your plant

The Money Tree is actually a huge tree when growing in the wild. Growing naturally in the wild this tree can be as high as 59 feet/18 meters.  It is a native tree in Central and South-America.

As a house plant it can get up to about 7 feet high with the right care.

Make sure your plant gets plenty of indirect sunlight. Every once in a while, you need to turn your plant around so that it will grow evenly.

This plant does not appreciate being moved around; it needs a permanent “home”.

Make sure you let it dry completely in between watering. As is true with most plants if you let it sit in water the roots will rot and it will have a premature death.

You may want to fertilize it with a water-soluble fertilizer. Every two years or so you can repot your plant.

If the leaves turn yellow it could be a sign that it needs more sunlight. Also, this could be an indication that it has received too much water.

All in all, this is an easy plant. It doesn’t demand very much work on your part.

Respect and take good care of your Money Tree. In return you just may be blessed with good fortune!

Should you want to increase your money luck, you may also want to look into other plants which represent prosperity. Some good choices are the Chinese Money Plant, the Jade Plant and Lucky Bamboo.

Wishing you a prosperous and happy life!