Pachira Money Tree Lifecycle
Pachira aquatica, commonly known as money tree, malabar chestnut or water chestnut, is a tropical tree native to Central and South America. It is a member of the botanical family Bombacaceae, along with larger baobabs. In its native habitat---tropical estuaries---the tree can reach 60 feet high but is smaller in cultivation. It is grown in the U.S. as a showy landscape evergreen (hardiness zones 10 to 12) or as houseplants or bonsai. Does this Spark an idea?
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Appearance
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The money tree bears bright green, shiny leaves that are palmate, meaning the veins diverge outward from a middle point, placed at alternating places along the stems; the leaves can grow to a foot in length. The bark is greenish. In U.S. gardens, a money tree can grow up to 30 feet high; as a houseplant, it is usually 6 to 8 feet tall.
Flowering
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Like other flowering plants (angiosperms), the money tree's natural reproductive cycle begins with its flowers. These emerge from large buds, about 14 inches long, with five long, cream-colored petals. The petals eventually curl back toward the stem and drop off, leaving the showy stamens, which are 3 to 4 inches long and whitish with red tips. These stamens cluster in groups of up to 200 to 250, and, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden's Kemper Center, they resemble a shaving brush. Flowers first appear on trees that are 4 or 5 years old.
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Reproduction
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The flowers of the money tree are monoecious, meaning they contain both male and female reproductive functions. In other words, a single tree can self-pollinate. The pistil collects pollen produced by the stamens, and below the pistil, in the ovary, fertilization occurs. Because it grows in consistently warm climates, the money tree can fruit and flower throughout the year.
Fruit
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The fruits develop from receptacles at the base of the former flowers. The money tree's fruit are oblong, woody pods 4 to 12 inches long and 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter. Once the pods ripen, the fruit drops, and the five lobes split apart to reveal tightly packed nuts about a 1/2-inch in diameter. The nuts can be eaten raw; they can be roasted or fried; or they can be ground into flower. Their raw taste is similar to peanuts; when roasted, they taste like chestnuts.
Propagation
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The money tree sprouts so readily from the seeds that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recommends that farmers who wish to harvest the seeds must gather them quickly. Seeds germinate in six to eight days. Seedlings are adaptable and grow rapidly but are most likely to thrive in damp environments with full sun to partial shade; because money tree is a swamp native, it can grow on a site that is flooded part of the time. If you are growing it as an ornamental or houseplant, you can also propagate it by cuttings.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit money tree image by palms from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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mind as lost its leaves and moves around in the dirt. is it dead?
