Pachira aquatica seed
LATIN NAME: PACHIRA AQUATICA
COMMON NAME: Money Tree, Malabar Chestnut, Guiana Chestnut
The money tree is one of the most recognisable houseplants in the world, its smooth, grey-green trunk often braided while young and topped by a crown of large, glossy, hand-shaped leaves divided into five to nine leaflets on long stalks. In the wild it is a very different creature: a wetland tree of Central and South America, growing along rivers and in seasonally flooded ground from Mexico to the Amazon, where it can reach a substantial size and produces large, cream flowers followed by giant, woody pods holding chestnut-like seeds. 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.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The money tree has a genuine and growing place in food science, horticulture and wetland ecology. In its native regions the large seeds are a traditional food, and researchers have studied their starch, protein and oil content and their potential as a food crop. In horticulture, the plant has become one of the most widely sold houseplants in the world, and researchers have examined its propagation, its tolerance of indoor light and dryness, and its cultivation as a bonsai and braided-trunk plant, while its ability to grow in wet ground has made it a subject of studies on water-tolerant plants and constructed wetlands. Botanists place it in the mallow family and study its relationships with the other chestnut-like trees of the tropics. For a plant that is both lucky and useful, the money tree has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the money tree is a valuable wetland plant. Along the rivers of its native forests it gives shade and shelter, its flowers draw pollinators, and its seeds feed fish, birds and the mammals of the riverbanks. Economically, it is a staple of the indoor-plant trade worldwide, and its seeds are a traditional roasted food in Central and South America. For a grower it is a high-demand, fast-growing crop, and for a gardener it is one of the easiest and most generous houseplants you can keep, bringing green good fortune to any room.
To grow the Money Tree from seed, to set the money tree going, plant the large, round brown seeds a centimetre deep in pots of moist, free-draining compost, and keep them warm, bright and evenly watered.
plant the large, round brown seeds a centimetre deep in pots of moist, free-draining compost, and keep the young money trees warm, bright and evenly watered.
LATIN NAME: Pachira aquatica
COMMON NAME: Money Tree, Malabar Chestnut, Guiana Chestnut
The money tree is one of the most popular and easily recognised houseplants in the world, and it is easy to see why it is so loved. It grows with a smooth, grey-green trunk that is often braided while young, topped by a crown of large, glossy, hand-shaped leaves divided into five to nine leaflets, held on long stalks. It is an elegant, fast-growing plant that brings a fresh, green presence to any room, and it is famously easy to keep. In time, a happy money tree may even reward its owner with large, cream-coloured flowers and, if it is lucky, the giant, woody seed pods that give the plant its other common name, Malabar chestnut, for the chestnut-like seeds inside.
The money tree belongs to the mallow family, Malvaceae, and it is native to the wetlands and riverbanks of Central and South America, from Mexico through the Amazon. In the wild it can grow into a large tree, and it has been grown around the world as a popular houseplant and bonsai, prized for its good fortune.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a money tree from seed is easy and very satisfying. The large, round, brown seeds sit inside the woody pods, and they germinate readily in warm, moist conditions. Sow them in pots of free-draining compost, about a centimetre deep, and keep them warm, bright and evenly moist. Germination usually begins within one to four weeks, and the young plants grow fast and vigorously. Pot them on as they grow, giving them bright, indirect light and warm, humid conditions, and keep the soil lightly moist. With a little care, your seed-raised money tree will grow into a handsome, lucky houseplant, and in warm regions it can even be grown outdoors as a small tree.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The money tree has a genuine and growing place in food and horticultural research. In its native regions, the 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 the starch, protein and oils they contain. In horticulture, the plant has become one of the most widely sold houseplants in the world, and researchers have studied its propagation, its tolerance of indoor conditions and its cultivation as a bonsai and braided-trunk plant. Its ability to grow in wetland conditions has also made it of interest in studies of water-tolerant plants and constructed wetlands. For a plant that is both lucky and useful, the money tree has a steady and practical record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the 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 the fish and mammals of the riverbanks.
Its economic value is considerable. 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. For a grower, the money tree is a high-demand, fast-growing crop, and for a gardener it is one of the easiest and most generous houseplants you can grow, bringing green good fortune to any room.
PACHIRA AQUATICA (MONEY TREE)SEED Pachira aquatica, which are members of the family Bombacaceae, are also called Guiana-chestnuts or Malabar-chestnuts. Many call them “money trees” and believe they bring good luck and monetary fortune to the householders who keep them. They are native to Mexico, Central America and South America, but make excellent houseplants in cooler areas, often planted in tight groups with the trunks braided together in one pot. Pachira are propagated from seeds or by rooting cuttings from established trees. Planting instructions: sowing the seeds place & cover 1 cm of soil, moisture but not wet indirect sunlight / shade , Temperature controlled at 20 degrees to 25 degrees, about a week to germinate, Pay attention to the fertile soil and seedbed permeable is good quality & Preferably contains sand,which will help root sprouts. Pachira grow fast, you can grow a meter a year, It must be trimmed to ensure that its shape is suitable.