Are you looking for a money plant to bring some good luck into your home? You might be surprised to know that quite a few plants are referred to as money plants and they aren’t related at all.
If you’re a bit confused about which one is actually the true money plant, you might want to read this article.
Different types of money plants – What you need to know
Let’s take a look at the group of plants referred to as money plants.
1. Golden money plant (Epipremnum aureum)
The golden money plant, also known as devil’s ivy or golden pothos, is a hardy climbing plant. This plant is very popular and has unique green and yellow colour patterns on its leaves that are said to resemble a dollar bill.
Golden pothos is very easy to care for. It is often used to create boundaries on walls or planted in hanging baskets and is believed to bring luck to a home.
Care instructions
Golden money plant is very easy to care for. All you have to do is make sure it’s placed in bright indirect light, watered once a week, fertilised every two weeks in the growing season or once a month otherwise. You also need to make sure to water before the soil dries out completely.
2. Split leaf money plant (Monstera deliciosa)
The split-leaf money plant, also known as the Swiss cheese plant, has large green leaves that are split along the sides. It is quite a popular plant and fairly easy to care for. It’s drought-tolerant, fast-growing and can survive in very low light conditions.
This plant is said to bring luck to households that care for it properly. It looks great kept in large vases or even planted in your garden.
Care instructions
Monstera is best planted in well-drained soil. Give it a trellis or moss pole to climb on and watch it thrive. Make sure the soil never dries out, but don’t overwater. It’s best to water when the top quarter of the soil feels dry. During the growing season, you can fertilise once a month for the best results. This plant should be placed in an area with bright indirect light for optimal health, but it can survive very low light conditions.
3. Marble queen money plant (Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen’)
This plant is very popular due to its creamy white and green leaves. It is undemanding and very easy to care for as long as you water it correctly Just like golden pothos, this plant is a stunning vine. Make sure to give it something like a trellis to climb on.
Care instructions
For the best results, place this plant in an area with bright indirect light. It’s ok if it gets some direct morning light, but don’t leave it in the sun for too long. The bright light will ensure it keeps the stunning leaf colouration.
Marble queen prefers soil that’s slightly on the dry side. Make sure to only water once the top quarter of the soil is dry. You can fertilise this plant once a month during the growing season.
4. Marble prince money plant (Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Prince’)
The marble prince money plant is very similar to the marble queen money plant. The only difference is that the marble prince money plant tends to have more green on the leaves.
This is a very popular indoor plant that will brighten up any room. It also acts as an air purifying plant and is considered a good luck plant in many cultures.
Care instructions
The marble prince plant does best kept in partial shade or bright indirect light. Water when the top layer of the soil feels dry and feed it once a month in the growing season.
5. Silver money plant (Scindapsus pictus)
The silver money plant, also known as silver satin, is a climbing vine that makes a great house plant. This plant is really popular due to its attractive silver pattern on the deep green leaves. It thrives in bright indirect light but will tolerate low light conditions. It’s best to grow this plant on a trellis or allow it to cascade over the edge of a hanging basket.
Care instructions
This plant is best kept in bright indirect light. Water it every one to two weeks and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. You can water it less if kept in low light conditions. Make sure to fertilise once a month during the growing season to keep the plant healthy.
6. Monkey mask money plant (Monstera adansonii)
This money plant has large, oval-shaped leaves. The plant gets its name from the perforations in its beautifully variegated leaves. This plant is often grown as a cascading plant in hanging baskets. You can also allow it to climb on a support like a trellis.
Care instructions
Make sure not to overwater this plant. You want the top 2 cm (inch) of soil to be dry before watering again. You can fertilise your plant once a month during the growing season. Keep this plant in an area with bright indirect light.
7. Big leaf money plant (Scindapsus aureus)
Climbing big leaf money plants can grow to 4 metres or larger. Fortunately, they’re also very easy to care for. As the name suggests, they have large, glossy leaves and many believe this plant to be lucky if kept healthy.
Care instructions
Keep your big leaf money plant in an area with bright indirect light. Make sure the area is open enough to give your plant space to grow since it will become quite large. Make sure to water only once the top 5cm (2 inches) of soil has dried out. This plant likes soil a bit on the dry side. Fertilise once a month in the growing season.
8. Jade plant (Crassula ovata)
Despite being called a money plant, this plant won’t grow money for leaves. Some, however, do believe that it will bring good fortune and wealth when cared for properly. Fortunately, it makes an excellent house plant and is very simple to care for.
The jade plant is also a very popular bonsai due to the way it grows in the form of a mini tree. This little tree is a succulent which means it can handle a bit of neglect. Just make sure it gets watered occasionally and plenty of light.
Care instructions
Jade plants need lots of light to stay in good health. Place your plant in a sunny window where it will receive a few hours of direct sunlight every day. You will also need to make sure your plant dries out completely before watering again. Failing to do this will result in root rot and a host of other problems. Fertilise your plant once a week with weak liquid fertiliser.
9. Neon money plant (Epipremnum aureum ‘Neon’)
The neon money plant is loved for its bright electric-green leaves. It’s best placed where its vines can trail along a shelf or spill over the edge of a pot. This money plant works well in hanging containers or tall planters where the vines create a cascade of shocking green foliage.
Easy to care for, the neon money plant can adapt to a range of lighting conditions and bounces back easily if you forget to water it. This makes it perfect for beginner plant keepers.
Care Instructions
Neon money plants prefer to grow somewhere with bright indirect light. They can, however, adapt to a range of other light conditions. Make sure to allow the soil to dry out a bit between waterings. It’s best to allow about 5cm of the soil to be dry before watering again. If the soil never dries, you might encounter problems like root rot.
10. Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides)
The Chinese money plant is probably the first plant that comes to mind when money plants are mentioned. These plants have distinctive coin-shaped leaves and are very easy to care for. Many cultures believe this plant brings good fortune into a home.
You might have some difficulty locating one of these stunning specimens. They aren’t the easiest to find. Fortunately, they’re very easy to propagate so once you have one, you’ll never need another.
Care instructions
Place your money plant in an area that receives moderate to bright indirect light. Make sure to keep it out of direct light since the delicate leaves will be burned. Watering is also very simple. It’s best to allow your plant to dry out almost completely before watering again. If you notice the leaves starting to droop, it’s time to water your plant.
11. Money tree (Pachira aquatica)
Money trees are the easiest house plants to care for. They are almost indestructible and virtually impossible to overwater. The money tree tends to grow in a neat clump and will become as large as you want it to be. This plant thrives in very moist soil since it naturally grows in swamps.
Care instructions
Place your little tree in an area with a bit of sun or bright indirect light. Unlike most plants, it’s ok to keep this plant very moist. As it prefers a lot of water, don’t let it dry out. A good recommendation is to water once or twice a week, adding water until it starts to drain out of the bottom of the pot.
12. Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
Rubber plants are very popular ornamental house plants from the Ficus genus. These plants can grow quite large and there are several varieties. Indoor plants tend to be a more manageable size. Place your rubber plant anywhere that has enough light. If your tree is still small, you can keep it on top of a table. Once it gets a bit bigger, it can stand on the ground.
Care instructions
Make sure to place your little tree in an area with bright indirect light. It can also be grown in low light conditions, but direct light will damage the leaves. The worst thing you can do to this plant is overwater it. Make sure the soil dries out slightly between waterings. Make sure the pot has drainage holes to prevent standing water in your container.
13. Silver dollar vine (Xerosicyos danguyi)
The silver dollar vine is a climber with round leaves that resemble coins. This succulent is believed to bring wealth and good fortune to the home of its caregiver. This plant is very easy to care for and grows quickly.
You can let your plant cascade over the rim of a tall planter or hanging basket, or you can give it a trellis to climb on. There are little tendrils on the stalks that will help the vine to hold on while it scales the trellis.
Care instructions
It’s best to keep your plant in a location with full sun. If you want to keep it indoors, place it where it will receive a few hours of direct sunlight. It can also grow in partial shade, but the growth rate will be reduced. Make sure not to overwater this plant. Generally, you want the soil to dry out completely before watering again.
14. Pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris)
Marsh pennywort is a very rare houseplant that forms part of the group called money plants. It has small round leaves that resemble coins, hence the name money plant. This is an aquatic plant, so it’s best to keep it in a fish tank or a bowl of water where it will float and do what aquatic plants do best. It can also be grown in saturated soil.
Care instructions
Marsh pennywort grows just about anywhere. It can be kept in full shade, partial shade or even full sun. Make sure to keep this plant wet. It doesn’t like to dry out and will die very quickly if left to do so.
15. Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Lucky bamboo, contrary to the name, isn’t actually bamboo but part of the dracaena family. This plant can be quite boring if left to grow naturally so keepers often bend it into different shapes and braid the stalks. In some cultures, the number of twists in the trunk of a lucky bamboo has a different meaning.
It’s part of the money plant family due to this belief. If there are three twists in the trunk, it is said to bring wealth to the family amongst other things.
Care instructions
This plant is best kept away from direct sunlight. The best placement for it is in a room with bright indirect light. Lucky bamboo needs to be submerged in water at all times. You will need to change the water every few days to prevent rotting.
If you’re keeping your bamboo in soil, water it in such a way that the soil is always moist. During the winter months, let it dry out slightly, but never completely.
Final thoughts
Now that you know a bit more about the group of plants referred to as money plants, it’s time to choose one for yourself. These plants may not always bring good fortune, but they will definitely brighten up your home.
Happy gardening!
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