Money Tree

Money Tree

Pachira aquatica

What the money tree plants?

The money tree is a small to medium-sized forest tree 4-23 m high, have very large flowers with long, narrow, pinkish petals and dozens of long stamens in a shaving-brush form.

The seeds of money tree are large and dark brown seeds known as Malabar chestnuts or Guiana chestnuts have a fleshy pulp and are delicious raw, boiled, fried or roasted, seeds considered as one of the best and easy indoor plants and also, used in the art of bonsai.

Leaves:

leaves of Money tree are alternate, palmately compound and clustered towards the ends of the branches.

Petioles long reach to 24 cm with many leaflets (3- 9), leaflets have a small point at the tip, and secondary veins are prominent.each elliptic-lanceolate, 5-28 cm long and 2.5-14.5 cm wide.

Flowers:

Very large, Terminal, bisexual, single flower or 2 to 3 in a cluster, each is narrowly cylindrical in the bud and large, showy and scented. 5 whitish-yellow Petals or whitish-pink tubular-shaped up to 30 cm long. radish and long 3-4 cm.

Fruits:

Have a fleshy pulp with large and whitish cotyledons, fruits dark brown, rounded, woody 1.2-2 cm in diameter.

Harvest should be made daily picking the seeds from the previously cleaned ground under the canopy. The fruit is not eaten.

Landscaping Uses:

The 15-18 m tree is also grown as a hedge and used in bonsai as ‘lucky trees’ or ‘money trees’

Food Uses:

The seeds of P. aquatica are delicious raw and has a high content of protein and edible oil, it could be used boiled, fried or roasted, the flavor is similar to a European chestnut, roasted seeds ground to make a hot drink like hot chocolate but with a strong smell, young leaves and flowers are also edible.