How to care for and grow your Money Tree

Money Trees are straightforward plants and very easy to care for once they’re placed in a spot they’re happy in.

The perfect spot would be somewhere with a lot of indirect sunlight since Money Trees require a lot of light to survive and support their leaves. So, place your plant as close to the front of a window as you can (not to the side of the windows), but be careful to avoid more than 2-3 hours of direct midday sunlight (i.e. the hottest point of the day).

The second aspect of plant care is watering. As Money Trees are native to tropical rainforests that go through long periods of rainfall, followed by drought, they have thick trunks and are able to store a lot of water (similar to ZZ Plants and Cacti).

To keep your Money Tree healthy, try to mimic these conditions as closely as you can when watering your plant: water your plant deeply, making sure to saturate its entire soil bed, then leave it to dry fully before rewatering again. 

Yes. Money Trees can be fed using UAE tap water.

However, to ensure your plant is as healthy as possible, it is best to account for the high level of chlorine and calcium found in UAE tap water (like tap water in most places):

To combat this, make sure to:

1. Leave tap water out for 24-48 hrs before using it. This will allow minerals time to evaporate.
2. Water all the way through the soil until water is dripping out the bottom of the nursery pot. This will ensure any excess build of calcium (and other minerals) is flushed out from the soil.

Finally, look out for tell-tale signs of too much chlorine or calcium:

• Scorched brown tips at the leaves = too much chlorine
• White crystals on the soil = too much calcium

Money Trees are tropical rainforest plants that thrive in wet, humid climates.

ACs achieve the opposite results: they make the temperature colder, and the air dryer.

If you start to notice brown spots forming on the tips of your leaves, then it may be that the environment around your Money Tree is too dry.

Here are some steps you can take when deciding where to place your Money Tree in a room and managing your AC’s air flow:

1. The ideal temperate for Money Trees, as with most indoor plants, is between 18°C - 30°C at night, and 22°C - 27°C during the day. Though it CAN tolerate lower temperatures, you'll need to REDUCE your watering drastically, as the risk of overwatering increases the lower the temperature is.

2. Whenever possible, place your Money Tree as far away from the AC vent as possible. To combat the drying effect of the AC, you can mist your Money Tree with water and a mister to replicate its native climate. For this to be effective, you'd need to mist your plant at least once a day.

3. Alternatively, and best of all, you can use a small humidifier to keep the air around your Money Tree constantly more humid.

In short, no.

Once you receive your plant, place it in the spot you plan to keep it in (whilst still in its nursing pot) and allow it at least 6 months (ideally 12) to acclimate to your home's temperature and light levels.

Once acclimated, you can choose to either re-pot your plant or leave it in its nursing pot.

Cause 1: Too dry

Suggestion: Check its soil for moisture level and water if needed.

Cause 2: Too much light

Suggestion: Move it slightly away from the window, but not too much since Money Trees do prefer a lot of sunlight. Moving it about half a meter away from the window should do the trick.

Cause: Not enough light

Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with more sunlight, but not outdoors or under direct sunlight. If this is not possible, consider investing in a grow light for your plant.

Cause: Accumulation of dust

Suggestion: Once a month, gently wipe away any dust on your Money Tree’s leaves with a damp rag.

Cause: Too much light

Suggestion: Move it slightly away from the window. Not too much since Money Trees do prefer a lot of sunlight, so moving it half a meter away from the window should do the trick.