Can't tell a money tree from a dwarf umbrella tree? Two quick tricks to identify them and never buy the wrong one again

There are many plants in the world, and many of them look alike. Beginners at growing flowers are easily fooled! A while ago, a friend of mine went to a flower market to buy a plant and mistook a dwarf umbrella tree for a money tree, then went home overjoyed! Of course, my friend just assumed it was a money tree and did not ask the flower shop owner either, so he had only himself to blame! For my friend's sake, let me explain the differences between the two plants!

Look at the leaves

The leaves of the dwarf umbrella tree (Schefflera arboricola) are relatively small, usually 6-9 per leaf cluster, and the leaflets are fairly thick, oval-shaped, with the tips tending to be round. The texture is similar to the leaves of the common holly trees seen along the roadside!

The money tree (Pachira aquatica) has relatively thin leaves, usually 5-11 per cluster. The leaf shape is also different, being oblong. The underside of the leaves has rusty-colored stellate hairs! Of course, another obvious feature is that the length of each leaf is different, with the middle ones being longer and gradually spreading outward from long to short!

Flowers

Actually, you can basically identify them just by the leaves! But there are also certain differences in how the two bloom. Although they rarely flower, so rarely that you could say you basically never see it, it is still good for everyone to know!

Dwarf umbrella tree

Before blooming, it looks like little mutated pearls, and after opening it grows more than 10-15 radiating small flowers. The flower color is pure white, small and fleshy.

Money tree blooming

The flowers of the money tree are much more obvious. Basically, one plant blooms just one flower at a time. The flower is relatively large and different from ordinary flowers. From a distance it looks like it is all stamens, and the petals are made up of radiating fine "threads"!