Money Tree

The Money Tree (Pachira glabra) is the indoor tree to choose when you want real presence without a maintenance routine. Grown with a braided trunk and topped by fans of glossy green leaflets, it settles at about 2m tall and 1m wide in a pot indoors, so it fills a corner rather than swallowing the room. It is not toxic to cats or dogs, and it forgives both a forgotten fortnight and a heavy hand on the watering can.

Why you'll love it

• Safe around pets. Not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it one of the few large indoor plants that can sit at floor level without worry.
• The braided trunk does the work. Several young stems are plaited together as they thicken, giving a sculptural base that most indoor plants cannot match.
• It forgives wet feet. This is a species from seasonally flooded ground, so it shrugs off the occasional soggy week that would finish a fiddle leaf fig.
• Genuinely low maintenance. Bright indirect light, water when the top few centimetres dry out, and two feeds in the warm months is the whole job.
• Outdoors in warm gardens. In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate areas it lives happily on a sheltered patio all year.

Where it works best

Indoors. A bright living room, an office foyer or a landing beside a window suits it. Keep it a metre back from hot west facing glass, which scorches the leaflets.

Pots and containers. Because it tops out near 2m under a roof, one plant in a 400mm to 500mm container reads as a small tree indefinitely, with no repotting treadmill.

Balconies and courtyards. In frost free gardens it can stay outside year round in a sheltered spot with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Growing the Money Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light indoors, or filtered light to part shade outside. It is frost tender, so gardeners in Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and the cold inland districts should treat it as an indoor plant, or move it under cover through winter. Tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens can grow it outdoors permanently.

Soil and potting. Use a quality premium potting mix in a pot with open drainage holes. It handles damp soil better than most indoor plants, but standing water in a sealed cover pot will still rot the roots, so tip the saucer out after watering.

Water and feed. Water thoroughly once the top 3cm to 4cm of mix feels dry, then let it drain freely. That is roughly weekly in summer and every two to three weeks in winter. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer keeps the leaves deep green.

Pruning. Cut back any stem that outgrows the shape in spring, and it will reshoot below the cut within weeks. Wipe dust off the leaflets a few times a year so the plant can use the light it has.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes. The 300mm pot holds a well furnished braid around waist height, which is the practical choice for a side table, a desk or a smaller room. The 400mm is taller and considerably heavier, with a thicker plait and a broader crown, and it is the one to order when you want immediate presence in a large room or a commercial foyer. Both arrive in their growing pot, ready to drop straight into a decorative container.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect one or two older leaflets to yellow and drop in the first fortnight while the plant adjusts to your light levels. That is normal, and new growth usually follows within four to six weeks. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full indoor plant range
• Find a decorative pot to match
• Ideas for small courtyards and balconies
• Compare palms and tropical foliage plants

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

Yes. This species is not toxic to cats or dogs, which is why it is one of the few tall indoor plants we recommend for homes with curious pets. A mouthful of any plant material can still upset a small stomach, so discourage chewing.

Why are the leaves turning yellow?

Almost always too much water rather than too little. Let the top few centimetres of mix dry before watering again, and check that the pot drains freely instead of sitting in a full saucer.

Can I grow it outside?

In tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, yes, in a sheltered position out of hot afternoon sun. It is frost tender, so in cooler southern and inland gardens keep it in a pot you can bring indoors over winter.

Will it outgrow the room?

Rarely. In a container it settles at about 2m tall and 1m wide, and a light prune in spring holds it at whatever height suits the ceiling.