Pachira aquatica - Money Tree Plant for Feng Shui

Pachira aquatica goes by many names – water chestnut, guinea nut, Guiana chestnut, provision tree, French peanut, Malabar chestnut, Mexican fortune tree, dollar plant and saba nut. Part of the Malvaceae family, it’s a tropical evergreen tree, native to central and south America, where it can reach 20m tall and produces edible nuts. Despite its damp native habitat, it doesn’t need a huge amount of watering – it can store water at the base of its swollen stems.

According to the Chinese art of feng shui, a properly placed money tree is considered to bring prosperity – good fortune is said to be trapped within the trunk and the five-lobed leaves are also considered lucky. Money trees are therefore often given as wedding or housewarming gifts. The braided trunk isn’t a natural feature – in plant nurseries, the supple young stems of young plants are braided together before they turn woody.