How to Grow a Money Tree (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) So It Thrives and Blooms, Plus Care Tips and Minimum Temperature Requirements
The money tree (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) gets its name because its leaves look very much like strings of coins. Native to Africa, the plant grows 50-80 cm tall and is a highly popular indoor foliage plant. It is suitable for placing in the living room, study, or office. As an indoor foliage plant, it helps purify the air. Its newly emerging pinnate compound leaves almost always come in pairs, one long and one short, one thick and one thin, which is why it is also known as the "dragon and phoenix tree"; it symbolizes bringing in wealth and prosperity.
The soil for a money tree should not only be loose, fertile, and well-draining, but also rich in organic matter, ideally acidic or slightly acidic. When choosing soil, you can mix coarse sand, peat, washed coal cinders, and a small amount of garden soil, and adjust the pH to between 6-6.5 so that it is slightly acidic. The money tree likes light but is also shade-tolerant, and it is not suited to growing in strong light; it is best placed near a window with something to screen the light, so that it can get plenty of sunlight without suffering leaf scorch from intense exposure. The screening effect should ideally reach 60 percent; too much shade will cause the leaves to turn yellow.
The ideal growing temperature for a money tree is 20-32°C. When summer temperatures are high, it needs to be moved to a cool spot indoors and water sprayed on the leaves to lower the temperature. The money tree has good drought tolerance, and it is best to keep the potting soil slightly moist and on the dry side; after mid-Autumn Festival, reduce watering, or replace watering with misting, to help new tender leaves emerge. In winter, be sure to spray water on the leaves and the surrounding environment so that the relative air humidity reaches above 50 percent. When the temperature reaches above 34°C, water once a day; in autumn and winter, water as little as possible, and you can replace watering by spraying the plant's leaves.
The money tree likes fertilizer, and during its growing season it can be fertilized twice a month. The most convenient choice is to buy fertilizer made specifically for money trees; this is sold at flower markets and is not expensive.
To keep it looking attractive, the money tree should be pruned and shaped regularly. How to prune can be decided according to your preference for the shape of a bonsai tree; usually it can be pruned into a natural form, with the branch pads trimmed into cloud-like shapes. It can also be pruned into branch pads that are slightly higher in the middle, of varying sizes, with an outer outline like a melon seed shape, giving it extremely high ornamental value.