Pachira aquatica Seeds | Money Tree

Pachira aquatica seed

LATIN NAME: Pachira aquatica

COMMON NAME: Money Tree, Malabar Chestnut, Guiana Chestnut

Plant Profile

Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) grows as a tree in the family Bombacaceae. Those seeds are a traditional food in its native range, roasted and eaten like chestnuts, and the tree’s tolerance of wet feet has made it of interest in water-garden and wetland research. Indoors it is famously easy and fast-growing, bringing a fresh, green presence to any room, and with age and good light it may even reward its owner with its curious flowers and pods. Each of these traits is modest on its own; together they make a garden-worthy plant.

Science & Biotechnology

Research touching on Pachira aquatica ranges from the botany of Bombacaceae to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. In its native regions, large seeds are a traditional food, roasted and eaten like chestnuts, and researchers have studied their nutritional value and their potential as a food crop, examining starch, protein and oils they contain. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.

Uses & Benefits

In the garden, Money Tree earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Ecologically, money tree is a valuable wetland plant. In its native forests it grows along rivers and in flooded ground, its large leaves give shade and shelter, and its flowers and seeds feed wildlife, including fish and mammals of the riverbanks. It is one of the most widely sold houseplants in the world, a staple of the indoor-plant trade, and its seeds are a traditional food in Central and South America, roasted and eaten like chestnuts. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.

The money tree is a feng-shui houseplant staple; in its native wetlands the seeds are eaten roasted and the young leaves cooked, but indoors it serves as living decor.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed of Money Tree under ordinary good conditions. Growing a money tree from seed is easy and very satisfying. Large, round, brown seeds sit inside woody pods, and they do well in warm, moist conditions. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.

Our Take

Part of this plant’s appeal is the long practical history summarized above. Money Tree, Malabar Chestnut, Guiana Chestnut is the kind of plant that rewards a permanent spot. Sun and good drainage cover most of its demands.

Tree Seeds