Braided Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) in a 5 inch Nursery Pot
Pachira aquatica · Money tree
- 30-day returnsNot happy with your plant? Bring it back within 30 days for an exchange or a refund.
- Pick up any time we're openOpen 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, at 3742 West 10th Avenue, Kitsilano. You can come in right after you order. Pickup is always free. For delivery, add it to your cart: $35 plus GST and PST, or free on orders of $98 or more.
Thin trunks braided into one, under an airy top of bright green, hand-shaped leaves. A small money tree that takes a lot in its stride.
- A braided trunk under an airy top of bright green leaves, each one made of long leaflets that spread like an open hand.
- Forgiving. In Darrell's words, “Money trees are one of those plants that can withstand a lot of change.”
- The ASPCA lists the money tree as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Read the pet note below.
- Care notes below are written for Vancouver's dark, grey winters and dry heated rooms.
- Braided trunk
- 5 in nursery pot
- Non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA)
- Bright, indirect light
Sending it as a gift?
- Add it to your cart and choose delivery at checkout: $35 plus GST and PST, or free when the order is $98 or more.
- Enter their address in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond or Burnaby as the delivery address. You can place the order from anywhere. We deliver only to these five cities.
- The receipt comes to your email only, and we email you when it has been delivered.
- After you pay, we email you, not them, to confirm the delivery day. Write your gift message, and whether it is a surprise, in the notes at checkout.
- Not sure which plant suits them? Send a gift card and let them choose at our Kitsilano shop.
Our shop is at 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano. Pick it up any time we're open, 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, even right after you order.
What you get
- One braided money tree growing in a 5 in (13 cm) terracotta-coloured plastic nursery pot.
- No decorative pot is included. You can set it inside a cover pot as it is.
Size and details
| Plant | Braided money tree, Pachira aquatica |
|---|---|
| Container | Terracotta-coloured plastic nursery pot (no decorative pot) |
| Pot size | 5 in (13 cm) nursery pot |
| Plant size | Braided trunk with an airy top, tall for its pot |
| Light | Bright, indirect light, puts up with less |
| Water | Let the top quarter of the soil dry |
| Pets | Non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA) |
| Pick up | 3742 West 10th Avenue, Kitsilano. Any time we're open, even right after you order |
About this plant
This is a braided money tree. Several thin trunks have been braided together by the grower, and at the top they open into an airy head of bright green leaves. Each leaf is made of long leaflets that spread out like an open hand. It grows in a 5 in (13 cm) plastic nursery pot.
When these came in, Darrell's comment was short: “Pretty big for a small pot, the money trees. Nice braids on them.”
Darrell has more than 25 years of growing behind him, and when he picks up our tropical plants, money trees are the ones he checks closely. “I always check, especially with the money trees,” he says. “The best way to tell is you squeeze the bottom here on the trunk.” A firm trunk is a good sign. There's more on that in the care notes below.
If you have a cat or a dog, the ASPCA lists the money tree as non-toxic to them. Please read the pet note below all the same.
Not sure which spot it should go in? Ask us at the counter.
Care in a Vancouver home
Light
Darrell's advice: “best conditions are bright, indirect light.” An east window works well, or a few feet back from a south or west one. Hot direct sun can scorch the leaves. A money tree will put up with less light, “they can withstand some lower lights if they had to,” Darrell says, but it barely grows there. Turn the pot a quarter turn every week or two so it doesn't lean toward the window. In December Vancouver gets only about eight hours of daylight, and a lot of it is grey. So in winter, move it as close to your brightest window as you can, with the leaves off the cold glass.
Water
Darrell's rule for money trees: “Let them dry the top quarter of their pot size between your watering.” Push a finger into the soil. If the top quarter feels dry and it is still a little moist deeper down, water at the sink and let it drain. If it feels damp right from the top, wait. If it sits in a cover pot or a saucer, tip out any water left in the bottom. Soggy soil can rot the roots. From November to February it will need water less often.
The trunks
A braid is several separate trunks, and every so often one of them dies. Darrell checks each one by squeezing the base: “If it's soft, that branch is already dead.” A healthy trunk feels firm, not mushy. If one goes soft, his fix is to follow that trunk up and pull it out, “because there's just no more life left to that trunk.” The other trunks carry on. If you're not sure a trunk has died, send us a photo before you pull anything out.
Yellow leaves
One or two of the oldest leaves turning yellow now and then is normal. Many yellow leaves at once, on soil that stays wet, usually mean too much water, so let it dry more between waterings.
Temperature
A normal warm room is fine. Keep it out of cold drafts, like a door that opens to the outside, and off cold window glass at night. Keep it away from heater vents too.
Feeding
Spring and summer only. Weak houseplant food about once a month is plenty. Nothing from November to February.
Repotting
Not often. When roots come out the bottom, go up one pot size and no more. When Darrell repots any plant, he keeps to one size up: “Nothing too big right away. Just to get a good one size up.” Use a potting mix that drains well.
Pets and kids
The ASPCA lists the money tree (Pachira aquatica) as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Even so, a pet that chews on any plant can get an upset stomach, and the ASPCA's page mentions nausea, vomiting and loose stool. Pick up any fallen leaves, and if your pet eats a lot of it or seems unwell, call your vet.
Source: ASPCA, Money Tree
Not sure it suits your spot?
Send a photo of the corner you have in mind. Darrell, who has grown plants for more than 25 years, will tell you honestly if this plant will be happy there.
Goes well with
Lemon Surprise dracaenaCurly lime-green leaves, and the same care: bright, indirect light and the top quarter of the soil dry before watering. Toxic to cats and dogs, so it needs a spot pets can't reach.
Moonshine snake plantA small silvery plant in a 4 in pot, for a spot you water less often. Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed.
Neon pothos hanging basketBright lime-green vines to hang near a window. Toxic to cats and dogs, so hang it well out of reach.
Questions people ask
Is a money tree toxic to cats and dogs?
The ASPCA lists the money tree (Pachira aquatica) as non-toxic to cats and dogs. A pet that chews a lot of any plant can still get an upset stomach, so call your vet if yours eats a lot of it or seems unwell.
How often should I water a money tree?
Go by the soil, not the calendar. Darrell lets the top quarter of the soil dry, then waters at the sink and lets it drain. Don't leave it sitting in water. In a Vancouver winter that is less often than in summer, because the soil dries more slowly.
How much light does a money tree need?
Bright, indirect light, like an east window, or a few feet back from a south or west one. It will live in lower light, but it barely grows there. Hot direct sun can scorch the leaves.
Why are my money tree leaves turning yellow?
One or two of the oldest leaves yellowing now and then is normal. Many yellow leaves at once, on soil that stays wet, usually mean too much water. Let it dry more between waterings, and tip out any water sitting in a cover pot or saucer.
Why is one trunk of my money tree soft or brown?
That trunk has most likely died. Squeeze the base of each trunk. A firm one is a good sign. If one is soft, Darrell follows that trunk up and pulls it out, because there's no life left in it. The other trunks carry on. Not sure? Send us a photo before you pull anything out.
How tall does a braided money tree get?
This one is tall for its 5 in (13 cm) pot. Indoors a money tree keeps getting taller over the years, faster in bright light. In low light it barely grows, so how much light it gets makes a big difference.
Does it come in a decorative pot?
No, it comes in its 5 in plastic nursery pot. You can set it inside a cover pot as it is, or move it into a pot one size bigger when roots come out the bottom.
Do you deliver this plant?
Yes, to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. Add it to your cart (shop.dhgardencentre.com/cart) and choose delivery at checkout: $35 plus GST and PST, or free when the order is $98 or more. Pickup at our Kitsilano store is always free. After you pay, we email you to confirm the delivery day.
What if my plant doesn't do well?
Bring it back within 30 days and we'll exchange it or give you a refund.
Where can I buy a money tree in Vancouver?
At DH Garden Centre, 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano. We're open 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week, and you can pick this one up in store any time we're open, even right after you order online.
See it before you buy
Every plant on this page is in our shop right now. Come and pick the one you like best, or let us choose a healthy one for you.
DH Garden Centre
3742 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6R 2G4
Open 7 days, 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM