How to Take Care of Money Tree: Beyond the Basic Watering Schedule

Money trees have this peculiar way of making promises they can't keep. Walk into any plant shop and you'll spot them, their braided trunks twisted together like some botanical rope trick, leaves spread out in perfect five-fingered formations that supposedly beckon wealth. Yet for all their supposed fortune-bringing powers, these plants seem to have an uncanny ability to drop their leaves at the slightest provocation, leaving their owners wondering if perhaps their luck has run out.

Pachira aquatica—that's the proper name for what we call money trees—originally grew in Central and South American wetlands, where they could reach heights that would make your ceiling cry. In their natural habitat, these trees produce stunning flowers with hundreds of red-tipped stamens that burst open like fireworks. But here's the thing: the potted version sitting on your windowsill is essentially a bonsai'd version of its wild self, trained and trimmed to fit our indoor spaces and our desire for something manageable yet meaningful.

The Water Dance Nobody Talks About

Most care instructions will tell you to water when the top inch of soil is dry. Sure, that's technically correct, but it misses the nuance entirely. Money trees are drama queens when it comes to water—they want it, but not too much, and definitely not too little. I've found that the real trick lies in understanding your specific plant's rhythm rather than following some universal schedule.

During my years of keeping these plants, I've noticed they go through phases. Sometimes they'll drink water like they're preparing for a drought, other times they'll sit there with moist soil for weeks, perfectly content. The leaves tell you everything if you pay attention. When they start to feel slightly less firm—not quite drooping but losing that turgid bounce—that's your cue. Not when the soil meter says so, not when your app reminds you, but when the plant actually needs it.

And here's something most guides won't mention: money trees absolutely despise having wet feet. That drainage hole at the bottom of your pot? Non-negotiable. I once kept a money tree in a decorative pot without drainage, thinking I could just be careful with watering. Three weeks later, I was performing emergency root surgery on a plant that smelled like a swamp.

Light Requirements That Actually Make Sense

Bright, indirect light—you'll see this phrase everywhere. But what does that even mean in the context of your actual living space? I'll tell you what works: imagine where you'd want to sit to read a book without turning on a lamp during the day. That's where your money tree wants to live.

East-facing windows are golden. The morning sun is gentle enough that it won't scorch those leaves, but bright enough to keep your plant happy. I've kept money trees in north-facing rooms too, and while they survived, they didn't exactly thrive. The growth was leggy, reaching desperately toward whatever light it could find.

Here's a controversial opinion: those grow lights everyone's pushing? Unless you live in a cave or Seattle in December, you probably don't need them for a money tree. These plants evolved under a jungle canopy, remember. They're used to dappled, filtered light, not the full blast of artificial suns.

The Soil Situation Everyone Gets Wrong

Standard potting mix is like feeding your money tree fast food every day—it'll survive, but it won't flourish. These plants need soil that drains faster than your average houseplant mix but still retains some moisture. I've experimented with countless combinations over the years, and here's what actually works: take your regular potting soil and add about 25% perlite or pumice, plus a handful of orchid bark.

Why orchid bark? It creates air pockets that money tree roots absolutely love. In their natural habitat, these trees often grow near water, but their roots need oxygen too. That chunky bark mimics the loose, organic matter they'd encounter in the wild.

Some people swear by adding sand for drainage. Don't. Sand plus regular potting soil equals concrete when it dries. I learned this the hard way with my first money tree, which I essentially entombed in a cement-like mixture that required a hammer and chisel to repot.

Temperature and Humidity: The Unspoken Requirements

Money trees are surprisingly tolerant of temperature variations, but they have their limits. They'll handle anything between 65-80°F without complaint. Push beyond those boundaries, though, and you'll see protest in the form of leaf drop.

The real kicker is humidity. These tropical natives want moisture in the air, but here's where it gets tricky—they don't want it on their leaves. Misting, that beloved ritual of houseplant parents everywhere, can actually cause more problems than it solves with money trees. Water sitting on those leaves invites fungal issues faster than you can say "Pachira aquatica."

Instead, I keep a small humidifier running nearby during winter months when indoor air turns desert-dry. Or, if you're low-tech like I was starting out, a tray of pebbles with water works just fine. The plant sits above the water line, benefiting from the evaporation without getting its feet wet.

Feeding Your Fortune Plant

Fertilizer advice for money trees ranges from "never" to "weekly," which tells you everything about how confused people are about these plants. Here's the truth: they're not heavy feeders, but they're not ascetics either.

During growing season—spring through early fall—I feed mine once a month with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength. Any more than that and you'll get lots of green growth but weak stems that can't support the weight. It's like bulking up at the gym without working on your core strength.

Winter is their rest period. No fertilizer needed. They're basically hibernating with their eyes open, maintaining themselves but not actively growing. Pushing fertilizer on them during this time is like force-feeding someone who's trying to sleep.

The Art of Pruning Without Ruining Everything

Money trees can be shaped, but they're not as forgiving as, say, a pothos that you can hack at with abandon. Each cut needs to be intentional. When you prune, you're not just removing growth—you're directing future growth.

Always cut just above a leaf node, at a 45-degree angle. This isn't just aesthetic advice; it prevents water from pooling on the cut surface and inviting rot. And timing matters. Early spring, just as new growth begins, is ideal. The plant has the entire growing season ahead to recover and fill out.

I've seen people try to maintain that perfect braided trunk by continuing to braid new growth. Unless you're incredibly patient and gentle, skip it. Those braids you see in stores? They were done when the plants were young and pliable. Trying to braid mature stems is a recipe for snapped branches and tears (yours, not the plant's).

Common Problems That Aren't in the Manual

Yellow leaves might mean overwatering, but they might also mean underwatering, lack of nutrients, too much sun, or just the plant dropping old growth. Helpful, right? The key is looking at the pattern. Random yellow leaves throughout? Probably just age. Yellow leaves starting from the bottom? Likely water-related. Yellowing between leaf veins while veins stay green? That's a nutrient issue.

Leaf drop is the money tree's favorite form of protest. Too cold? Leaves drop. Too much water? Leaves drop. Moved it to a new spot? You guessed it—leaves drop. The good news is they're surprisingly resilient. I've had money trees drop every single leaf and still come back when conditions improved.

Those little white bugs that sometimes appear? Probably mealybugs. They love hiding where leaves meet stems. A cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol takes care of individual bugs, but for infestations, you might need to bring out the insecticidal soap.

The Propagation Secret Nobody Shares

Want more money trees? You don't need to buy them. These plants propagate easily from cuttings, but there's a trick. Most people try to root them in water like they would a pothos. Sometimes it works, but money trees often develop water roots that struggle to adapt to soil later.

Instead, take a 4-6 inch cutting with at least two leaf nodes, let it callus for a day, then plant directly in moist (not wet) potting mix. Cover with a plastic bag to create humidity, and wait. It takes patience—sometimes 6-8 weeks—but the roots that develop are already adapted to soil.

Final Thoughts on Fortune and Foliage

After years of growing money trees, I can tell you they won't make you rich. But there's something deeply satisfying about successfully caring for a plant that's just finicky enough to be interesting without being impossible. They teach you to observe, to respond rather than follow schedules, to accept that sometimes plants just do their own thing regardless of your best efforts.

Maybe that's the real fortune they bring—the wealth of patience, observation, and the quiet satisfaction of keeping something green and growing in our increasingly digital world. Or maybe they're just nice plants with a good marketing story. Either way, treat them right, and they'll give you years of those distinctive five-fingered leaves reaching out like hands, not grasping for money, but simply being alive and green and perfectly themselves.

Authoritative Sources:

Bailey, Liberty Hyde, and Ethel Zoe Bailey. Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. Macmillan, 1976.

Griffith, Lynn P. Tropical Foliage Plants: A Grower's Guide. Ball Publishing, 2006.

Hessayon, D.G. The House Plant Expert. Sterling Publishing, 2019.

University of Florida IFAS Extension. "Pachira aquatica: Money Tree." https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP449

Missouri Botanical Garden. "Pachira aquatica." http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=285881