Money Tree
Pachira aquatica
Through the year 🗓️
☀️ Summer now
Steady water through the heat, but never a wet saucer.
🍂 Fall
Taper both water and feed.
❄️ Winter
Water well down and keep clear of cold drafts.
🌱 Spring
Repotting window; braided trunks appreciate refreshed soil.
The details
Light & placement
- Light
- Bright indirect; tolerates medium light; keep out of harsh direct sun
- Ideal PPFD
- 150–350 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
- Grow-light distance
- 18–24 in below LED
Water & feed
- Watering method
- Water thoroughly when the top 2 in of soil are dry, then drain fully. Despite the "aquatica" name, it hates sitting in water indoors.
- Fertilizer
- Balanced liquid feed at ½ strength, monthly in spring–summer; none in winter.
Home & habit
- Soil
- Well-draining peat-based mix with sand/perlite; pH 6.0–7.5
- Humidity
- Average–high (50%+)
- Temperature
- 65–80 °F; keep above 50 °F
- Mature size
- 3–6 ft indoors
- Repotting
- Every 2–3 yrs in spring
- Propagation
- Stem cuttings in water or moist soil in summer; seeds (rarely available fresh).
When something looks wrong
- Overwatering signs
- Yellowing leaves, black stem base, dropping leaflets
- Underwatering signs
- Wrinkled trunk, crispy browning leaflets, drooping
- Common pests
- Aphids, mealybugs, scale, spider mites
Common problems 🩺
The usual suspects when Money Tree looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.
Yellowing leaves
Likely cause
Overwatering. Money trees are far more often drowned than dried out.
What to do
Let the top 2 inches dry completely, and make sure no water sits in the outer pot.
Dropping leaves after moving
Likely cause
Shock from a change in light or temperature.
What to do
Give it one stable bright-indirect spot and a few weeks to settle.
Crispy leaflet edges
Likely cause
Dry indoor air.
What to do
Raise humidity a little and keep it clear of radiators and vents.
More like this 🌿
Have a money tree?
Track it in DueDrop, with watering every 13 days, feeding every 28 days, prefilled for you.
Start tracking free