Does the Money Tree Bloom? The Latest Answer Is Here
The money tree is a popular potted plant, an evergreen small tree of the Malvaceae family, also known as Pachira aquatica, Malabar chestnut, Guiana chestnut, and provision tree, among other names. It prefers warm, humid environments with full sun or slight shade, with an optimal growing temperature of 20°C to 30°C, and grows best in loose, fertile, well-draining soil. Many people enjoy growing it, so let us take a look below at whether the money tree will bloom!
Will the Money Tree Bloom?
The money tree will bloom. As long as the money tree reaches a certain age and the environment, temperature and other conditions are suitable, it may bloom, because the money trees available now are all grown in pots, so flowering and fruiting are rarely seen. Some people have looked up information and found that even in suitable tropical conditions in the wild, only one out of 1,000 money trees will bloom, and for a potted money tree to bloom is even rarer.
The Blooming Time of the Money Tree
The money tree usually blooms from May to November. The petals are pale yellow-green, narrowly lanceolate to linear, up to 15 cm long, with the upper half rolled back. The stamen tube is relatively short, splitting into numerous stamen bundles, each bundle further splitting into 7 to 10 slender filaments. The filaments plus the stamen tube are 13 to 15 cm long, yellow at the lower part and turning red toward the top. The anthers are narrowly linear, curved, 2 to 3 mm long, and borne horizontally. The style is longer than the stamens, dark red, with a small stigma that is shallowly 5-lobed.
How to Grow the Money Tree
1. Cuttings: The best time to take money tree cuttings is in May to June. Cut sturdy branches with buds, insert them into sand, and at the same time pay attention to keeping them moist and shaded. They will take root and survive in one month.
2. Sowing: Money tree seeds should be sown immediately after harvesting. Cover the seeds with 1 cm of soil, keep them moist and shaded, and control the temperature at 20 to 25 degrees. They will sprout in about a week. Note that the seedbed soil should be fertile and well-draining, preferably containing sand and gravel, which helps the new shoots take root.
3. Temperature: The money tree likes high temperatures and humidity, and loves sunlight. It needs to be grown in a place with plenty of sunlight and cannot be shaded for long periods. The room temperature should preferably be kept at 20 to 25 degrees.
4. Humidity: The money tree should be watered frequently, watering thoroughly and evenly, with little standing water, to avoid overwatering. The leaves should be sprinkled with water frequently; on one hand this maintains the plant's humidity, and on the other hand it washes off the dust, ensuring its ornamental value.
5. Fertilizing: The money tree is a flowering plant that loves fertilizer and needs frequent fertilizing, requiring more fertilizer than common flowering plants. Common nitrogen fertilizer can meet the money tree's needs, and fallen leaves and decomposed soil are also very good organic fertilizers.
6. Pruning: The money tree grows very fast, growing one meter in a year, so it must be pruned to ensure its shape is suitable for viewing.
7. Sunlight: The money tree loves sunlight and needs to be grown in a place with plenty of sunlight. Insufficient light will cause the money tree's leaves to turn yellow.
8. Repotting: The money tree's strong demand for fertilizer means the soil must be changed every year, and the new soil should be mainly fertile soil, so as to ensure the money tree's fertilizer needs are met.