Money Tree

The Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) carries an origin story that perfectly encodes its symbolic meaning. According to a widely told legend, a poor Taiwanese farmer prayed for good fortune and found an unusual plant growing in his field. He cultivated it, sold multiple plants grown from its seeds, and became wealthy. He called it the 'money tree' and its braided trunk form — the result of a practice begun in Taiwan in the 1980s where five stems are braided together while young — became the standard form associated with luck and wealth.

The braided trunk of the money tree encodes significant symbolism. Five trunks braided together represent the five feng shui elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) held in unity and mutual support. Five is also associated with the five virtues of Confucianism and the five directions (north, south, east, west, and center). The braid itself, like Chinese knotting, represents the binding together of fortune in a form that cannot be easily undone. The tree's palmate leaves (each leaf consisting of five to seven leaflets on a single stem) resemble an open hand receiving money.

In feng shui practice, the Money Tree is valued for its ability to generate fresh, active yang energy through its growth — unlike static charm objects, a living, growing plant continuously creates new energy. The tree is considered most powerful when placed in the wealth corner (southeast sector of the home or room per the bagua map) or on a business desk. The more vigorously the plant grows, the stronger the wealth energy it generates is considered to be.