The Pachira aquatica, or Money Tree, is a popular houseplant often recognized by its distinctive braided trunk. This braided appearance is not the plant’s natural growth habit but an aesthetic choice created by growers when the plant is young. Whether it is too late to braid your Money Tree depends entirely on the current maturity and physical condition of the stems.
Understanding Stem Flexibility and Timing
The feasibility of braiding a Money Tree is determined by lignification, the process where stems develop lignin, making them hard and rigid. Young stems are pliable and green, allowing them to be gently woven without breaking. The ideal time to start is when the stems are less than 14 months old and under a half-inch (1.2 cm) in diameter.
If the trunk is already thick, brown, and woody, the hardened section is no longer flexible enough to manipulate into a braid. Attempting to bend these mature, lignified sections will result in snapping or severe cracking, which can fatally damage the plant. If this is the case, you must wait for new, green growth to emerge from the top. This fresh, soft growth can be braided as it lengthens, allowing you to gradually continue the pattern up the trunk.
Step-by-Step Braiding Technique
The braiding process requires selecting healthy, flexible stems, usually three or five individual plants growing closely together in a single pot. Before starting the weave, remove any lower leaves or small side branches that would interfere with the braiding area, using clean, sharp shears. This preparation ensures a smooth section for the pattern.
Start the braid at the base, treating the stems like a simple three-strand braid, crossing the outermost stem over the middle one, and then repeating the process from the opposite side. Keep the braid relatively loose, leaving a small amount of space between the woven stems. This looseness is necessary to accommodate the stems’ future radial expansion as the trunks thicken.
Continue weaving until you reach the point where the stems become too leafy or lose their flexibility. Secure the braid at the top using a soft, flexible material, such as a garden tie, soft twine, or cloth strip. The tie must hold the weave in place but must not constrict the stems, as this can cause girdling, which starves the plant of nutrients and water. New growth above the tie should be left unbraided to allow for normal foliage development and later extension of the pattern.
Post-Braiding Care and Maintenance
After the braiding is complete, the plant may experience a period of mild stress from the physical manipulation, making consistent care important. Place the Money Tree in a location with bright, indirect light and maintain a regular watering schedule. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between applications to prevent root rot. Proper hydration supports the plant’s recovery and encourages new growth that will eventually extend the braid.
Regularly monitor the soft tie at the top of the braid, checking it every few weeks, especially during the active growing season. As the individual stems thicken, the tie can begin to cut into the bark, which will cause scarring or inhibit growth. It must be loosened or adjusted to allow for this expansion. Over time, the stems will grow and press against each other, and in some cases, they can fuse together in a natural process that permanently sets the braided form.
To maintain the desired columnar shape, you must prune any new stems or branches that attempt to grow out sideways from the braided section. Making a clean cut about an inch away from the main trunk helps focus the plant’s energy on upward growth and maintains the clean, braided aesthetic. Patience is necessary, as the braided pattern is a long-term project requiring new, pliable growth to continue the weave.