I’m absolutely, totally, completely, utterly, positively o-ver-joyed that winter is finally over. Goodbye snowy days, deep freeze and cloudy skies. Farewell snow banks, blizzards and freezing rain. Sayonara icy sidewalks, frostbite and flu season. Arrivederci coats, ski jackets and snow pants. Au revoir wool socks, boots and earmuffs. Ta-ta to hats, gloves, scarves and mittens. Adios ice scrapers, snow brushes and snow shovels. Hasta la vista winter tires, snow blowers and snow plows. So long and good riddance to everything associated with the coldest, gloomiest and most energy-depleting season of the year.

‘Yesiree’ folks, spring - my favourite season of the year – is here. First it’s going to beat up old man winter - a miserable old coot that terrorizes people who live in cold-susceptible areas of the world. Then it will thaw the frozen earth and liberate us from the shackles of winter. The sun will shine more often. The days will be warmer and longer. The flowers will bloom. Hallelujah! Let us rejoice! Awaken from the winter slumber and embrace the wonders of spring! Amen.

Once the taste of mild weather hits the palette, you see children playing outdoors, couples strolling hand-in-hand, joggers sprinting, restaurants preparing outdoor patios and our Canada geese gliding back home. Bikes, scooters, motorcycles, rollerblades, skateboards, footballs, tennis racquets, basketballs, bats and mitts will all come out of storage. And unlike the winter where everyone is isolated, the outdoors dies back and the shorter, cloudier days cause depression, spring encourages you to get outside. It breathes life into the great outdoors and puts a smile on your face. Everyone is happier and more energetic.

And with spring on the brain, a silly poem that I used to skip rope to as a little girl came to mind. I’ve found slightly different versions of it on the internet, but it goes something like this:

Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’,
I wonder where the birdie is.

There he is up in the sky,
He dropped some whitewash in my eye!

I‘m alright, I won't cry.
I'm just glad that cows can't fly!

Do any of you remember it?

In any case, spring is here and the grass may not exactly have ‘ris’ up here in the north, but it will soon enough. And every year that spring arrives, I get this urge to buy plants. Well, okay, I get this urge at different periods of the year, not just at spring. But you know, it’s just one more excuse to pop over to the local greenhouse and snoop around for some goodies.

One place that seems to be overflowing with really cool houseplants lately is a Home Depot near my place, which is surprising because it usually isn’t. The greenhouse is tiny and the stock is often sparse and limited to a few popular specimens. But, for whatever (wonderful) reason, that tiny little houseplant section of their store has been packed with beautiful plants for the past few weeks, many of them large specimens. And although I’ve been drooling over some of the plants on display, I’ve had to force myself to walk away without making a single purchase. It’s not that I don’t want to buy anything; it’s that I shouldn’t. In less than three months we are moving to another city in another province and it wouldn’t be wise to add more plants to my already large group that I’m concerned about relocating successfully.

But it doesn’t hurt (or cost anything) to look. And the plant that has caught my interest – a plant that I hope to buy after our move - is the Pachira aquatica. It’s being sold at Home Depot as a small plant in a 4” pot and as a very large one in an 8” container. What does the large one look like? Can you say mind-boggling? Oh, yeah.

Well, since I can’t have one (for now) no matter how much I’d like to, I’ll settle for writing a little about its care info.


The Money Tree

Commonly referred to as the ‘Money Tree’ or ‘Money Plant’, Pachira aquatica is native to Central America, South Mexico and South America where it grows in swamps. Other common names include ‘Water Chestnut, ‘Saba Nut’, ‘Guiana Chestnut’, ‘Provision Tree’ and ‘Malabar Chestnut’, although they’re not used as often over in my neck of the woods.

Pachira aquatica is a popular plant in the practice of Feng Shui, an “ancient Chinese art of positioning objects in buildings and other places based on the belief in positive and negative effects of the patterns of yin and yang and the flow of chi, the vital force or energy inherent in all things.” Feng Shui has been around for a few thousand years and is practiced in China and several other areas of the world.

Large, stalked leaves with many oval leaflets grow from the top of a thick woody stem. This unusual but attractive plant is typically sold in a braided form with several trunks intertwined. I don’t know how quickly it grows, but a ‘Money Tree’ can become very large. And although it’s generally sold as a regular houseplant, every now and then you find it sold as a bonsai.

A wide range of lighting - from full shade to full sun - is tolerated. But even though Pachira aquatica will grow in almost any light condition, it will be happiest in a brightly lit spot where it can receive filtered sun. During fall and winter, you can grow your plant in direct sun without a worry but it should be protected against the strong rays of the summer’s midday sun.

Keep the soil of this plant moist at all times during the growing season, allowing it to dry out only slightly before watering again; water more sparingly during the rest of the year. Pachira aquatica tolerates drying out quite well but you should not make it a habit of letting it dry out completely too often or for extended periods. Avoid over-watering as much as possible or the trunk (or trunks) will eventually rot. To help prevent this from happening, use a potting mix that is airy and drains well.

Dry air can be tolerated for awhile but Pachira aquatica prefers more moisture; provide plenty of humidity to keep your plant happy and prevent spider mite infestations. Make sure there is adequate ventilation to avoid stagnant air; keep the air fresh and in constant motion by running floor or ceiling fans, and by opening up windows regularly. Feed with a liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every two weeks or once a month during the growing season; do not feed in winter. Repot every year in early spring.



Pachira aquatic is a lovely plant. It requires very little to keep it healthy, which makes it a great choice for beginners and a wonderful choice as a gift. If you don’t have a ‘Money Tree’ already, don’t hesitate to pick one up the next time you see a bunch of them at a local store. It’s worth it.

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