Money Plant Grow Guide: How to Grow a Money Plant

The colloquial name “money plant” describes several species of popular houseplants that bring prosperity and good fortune into the home, according to feng shui principles. Money plants vary in their leaf shapes, trunks, and sizes. Some money plants have thick, waxy green leaves, while others have round foliage resembling coins.

Depending on the specific variety, money plants can grow as annuals, biennials, or perennials.

Several types of plants fall under the “money plant” category. Each type of money plant has unique characteristics and may require different care methods. Here are the different types of money plants:

1. 1. Chinese money plant: Peperomias (Pilea peperomioides)—also known as Chinese money plants, UFO plants, missionary plants, or pancake plants—are succulent indoor shrubs with waxy, fleshy leaves and green or red stems. Chinese money plants come in various textures, colorings, and sizes. Some have heart-shaped leaves, while others sprout thin or round foliage. One of the most well-known versions of the Peperomia has round, bright-green coin-shaped leaves. These slow growers usually only reach heights of around twelve inches, making them a popular vegetation choice for people who want unique-looking flowering indoor plants.
2. 2. Golden pothos: Epipremnum aureum, whose common names include the golden pothos or devil’s ivy, has heart-shaped, variegated deep green and yellow leaves. Golden pothos plants thrive in bright indirect light and dry topsoil, though gardeners need to water them regularly. This golden money plant’s trailing vines can grow anywhere between thirty and fifty feet long. It also functions as an air-purifying houseplant, helping to improve indoor air quality over time. Marble queen pothos plants are a related variety featuring leaves flecked with bright to darker shades of green.
3. 3. Jade plant: Jade plants (Crassula ovata) are succulent plants with thick, oval leaves and stout stems. Even though they grow slowly—roughly two inches a year—jade plants can reach heights of up to six feet with a three-foot spread. Jade plants can grow indoors and live for up to one hundred years with consistent care. These succulents symbolize good luck, fortune, and prosperity in some cultures. Jade plants are toxic to cats and dogs, so it’s wise to keep them out of reach of pets.
4. 4. Money tree: Money tree (Pachira Aquatica), which also goes by the names Malabar chestnut or Guiana chestnut, is a tree species that originated in Central and South America, where it grows in moist, swampy areas. The money tree plant has dark green leaves and typically features a braided trunk. The money tree commonly grows in Hawaii and Taiwan, where gardeners cultivate it as a bonsai tree.
5. 5. Rubber plant: The rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is an ornamental houseplant that grows between six and ten feet tall and features large, shiny leaves. Most rubber plants have dark green leaves, but the black prince and burgundy rubber plants have blackish-red leaves. The milky latex sap of rubber trees is essential to manufacturing natural rubber. Rubber plants tolerate bright to medium light, but they can suffer from leaf scorch when receiving too much direct sunlight.
6. 6. Swiss cheese plants: Swiss cheese plants (Monstera deliciosa), which originated in Mexico, Central America, and South America, derive their name from the holes (called fenestrations) that develop in their deep green leaves as they age. The Swiss cheese money plant is in a group of tropical plants called aroids, which bear small flowers within a leaf-like bract called a spathe. These humidity-loving plants can grow up to fifteen feet tall when gardeners grow them indoors.
7. 7. ZZ plant: The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) has shiny, green leaves and long, arched stems. These low-maintenance houseplants only need watering every few weeks and fertilizing once every few months. As long as ZZ plants receive plenty of indirect sunlight, they can reach up to three feet tall. The leaves and stems of ZZ plants are toxic, so keep them out of reach of pets and kids.

Money plants grow easiest from the propagation of stem cuttings obtained from a healthy mother plant. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to propagate a money plant.

1. 1. Obtain the cutting. Find a healthy green stem sticking out from the main trunk of a mature money plant. Hold a sterile pair of gardening shears flush against the trunk and snip away a six-inch-long stem.
2. 2. Root the cutting. Place your fresh cutting in a glass of water and leave it in a sunny spot until roots form at the cut end of the stem. Change the water every week as you wait for the cutting to root, which may take up to four weeks. Pot your plant once the roots of your cutting are about two inches long and it has sprouted a few tiny new leaves.
3. 3. Prepare the potting medium. Money trees thrive with plenty of moisture and humidity, but their roots should not sit in water because it can lead to root rot). Prepare a pot with drainage holes and fill it with well-draining potting soil (or add perlite and sand to the mix to help with drainage). Place a pebble tray at the bottom of the pot to augment the humidity.
4. 4. Plant in the potting mix. Dig a small hole into your potting mix. Lay the growing roots of your cutting flat at the bottom of the hole, and backfill it with soil. Make sure to leave the tiny new leaves above the soil level.
   
5. 5. Water and trim. Water the cutting thoroughly and press the stem into the soil so it holds firmly upright. Snip away the old stem so that only the small green leaves remain. Place the container in a shady location.

While many money plant species are low-maintenance, there are some plant care tips that you can follow to ensure that your lucky plants have long and prosperous lives. Keep in mind that specific care requirements will vary depending on the variety. Here’s how to keep your money plants thriving:

1. 1. Add humidity. Most money plants are high-humidity specimens that need a moist environment. Misting the plant is a great way to add humidity to your plant and its leaves clean. Keeping the plant in a room with a humidifier can accomplish this.
2. 2. Fertilize the soil. Start your money tree in a potting mix that contains fertilizer and peat moss. Add liquid fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Hold off on fertilizing during the winter months.
3. 3. Monitor for pests. If money plants sit in wet soil, they can attract fungus gnats. If their soil is too dry, they can harbor spider mites. Aphids and mealybugs are other common pests. Consider treating your plants with neem oil as a natural bug repellent. Treating your plants (sparingly) with a permethrin solution can curb fungus gnats in potted plants.
4. 4. Prune to promote growth. Prune unwanted branches early in the growing season, making each cut right above a leaf node. Pruning your plant will help it devote energy to new growth. The plant will need consistent indirect sunlight to generate the energy to sprout new branches and leaves.
5. 5. Repot your plant. Some species of money plants are fast growers that will outgrow their container fairly quickly. As a general rule, choose a pot with a diameter as wide as the plant's foliage. When repotting a money tree, keep the soil mixture consistent.

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