Money Tree Meaning: Five Trunks for “Five Blessings”, a 1980s Braid in Taiwan, and a Plant Long Mistaken for Pachira aquatica
Money tree meaning: good fortune, by tradition. See what five trunks stand for, who braided the first one in Taiwan, and why the plant is often Pachira glabra.
In short
- A money tree means good fortune and wealth, by tradition: a braided houseplant sold as a luck gift since the 1980s.
- Truck driver Wang Ching-fu told Taiwan’s Liberty Times in 2006 he braided five plants during a typhoon.
- A Taiwanese plant author says the braided plant is Pachira glabra, long mistaken for Pachira aquatica.
- Checked against: NC State Extension, New York Botanical Garden, ASPCA, Liberty Times.
A money tree means good fortune and wealth, by tradition. The money tree is a houseplant sold as Pachira aquatica with three or five trunks braided together, and NC State Extension says it is valued in feng shui for attracting prosperity. The braid is credited to a Taiwanese truck driver, who told the Liberty Times in 2006 that he braided five plants at home during a typhoon. The plant Taiwan grows is, by the account of Taiwanese plant author Wang Jui-min, a different species, Pachira glabra.
This guide separates what the record shows from what plant sellers say. It covers what the braid is said to mean, what the Taiwan record supports, what three, five, seven and eight trunks are said to stand for, how the money tree differs from the money plant and the jade plant, and what Victorian flower dictionaries say about money. For the wider picture, see our flower symbolism guide.
What does a money tree mean?
A money tree stands for wealth and good luck, and the sources trace that meaning to Taiwanese growers and gift buyers in the late 1980s rather than to an old symbol. NC State says the braiding of seedlings originated in Taiwan, where people believed it locked in luck or fortune, and that the tree became popular there in the 1980s.
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The Taiwanese gift custom has a first-hand witness. Wang Jui-min recalls the braided “fortune tree” (發財樹, fācái shù) as the most popular wealth-attracting potted plant of the late 1980s. He remembers one tied with a red ribbon, and a red paper of congratulations stuck in the pot, at every shop opening, house move and promotion.
Academia Sinica’s digital archive describes the same product: three or five Malabar chestnut plants braided into a twist and tied with a big red satin ribbon as a congratulatory potted plant.
Three separate stories sit on top of that custom.
- The name. NC State says the name “money tree” comes from a tale of a poor man who became rich selling the tree’s edible nuts. The English Wikipedia article tells a similar tale, in which a poor man prays for money, finds the plant and profits from selling plants grown from its seeds, and cites only a nursery sales page, archived in 2012, for it. Either way it is a story rather than a record.
- The coins. The New York Botanical Garden says the five leaves in a cluster are said to stand for coins and for the lucky number five, and that a stalk with seven leaves is a sign of immense good fortune. NC State counts 5 to 9 leaflets on the species, so the number varies from leaf to leaf.
- The braid. NC State and the New York Botanical Garden both word the luck as belief or rumour: NC State says people thought the braid was a way of locking in fortune, and the New York Botanical Garden says the leaves are “said to” stand for coins. The Lively Root feng shui list states flatly that the money tree “brings wealth” and cites no source for it.
The takeaway is that the money tree means wealth because growers and gift sellers sold it that way, and the botanical sources treat the luck as tradition, not as a measured effect.
What plant is a money tree?
The money tree is Pachira aquatica by its common name, but the braided plant Taiwan grows and exports is, by a Taiwanese plant author’s account, Pachira glabra. NC State lists the money tree in the mallow family (Malvaceae) with the names Guiana chestnut, Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Mexican fortune tree and water chestnut. It says the species is native from southern Mexico to Bolivia and northern Brazil and reaches 60 feet in the wild, while a houseplant usually stays at 6 to 8 feet.
Wang Jui-min writes that Taiwan’s plant was first introduced in May 1931 from Hawaii and is Pachira glabra, a tree native to Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest. He says it was long mistaken for the Central and South American Pachira aquatica, whose filaments are red and whose fruit is covered in red-brown hairs, unlike the plant grown in Taiwan. The English Wikipedia article on Pachira glabra agrees and says the ornamentals sold as P. aquatica are almost all actually P. glabra. The New York Botanical Garden is more cautious: it says the braided money tree is made of P. aquatica “or a similar species, Pachira glabra.”
| Trait | Pachira aquatica | Pachira glabra |
|---|---|---|
| Native range | Southern Mexico to Bolivia and northern Brazil (NC State) | Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest (Wang Jui-min) |
| Flower | Red-tipped petals and red anthers (Wikipedia); red filaments (Wang Jui-min) | All white (Wikipedia) |
| Fruit | Brown capsule (Wikipedia); covered in red-brown hairs (Wang Jui-min) | Green capsule (Wikipedia) |
The takeaway is that flower and fruit separate the two species, and NC State says a money tree will not flower indoors, so a braided desk plant is hard to sort by sight. I found no survey of which species nurseries sell. The meaning attaches to the braid, not to the species, so either plant carries it.
Who braided the first money tree?
A Taiwanese truck driver named Wang Ching-fu (王清富; Wang Qingfu in pinyin) is credited with the first braid, and his own 2006 account in the Liberty Times is the earliest first-hand source I found. The story is reported rather than documented, because no patent, photograph or sales record of that first pot turned up.
The Liberty Times, reporting from Changhua, calls Wang a former 板車 (flatbed) driver from Xizhou township; other retellings say truck driver or container-truck driver. It says Typhoon Wayne (韋恩颱風) kept him off the road about 20 years earlier. He stayed home helping his wife, Chen Mei-hua (陳美華), a hairdresser, braid hair, and on a whim braided five Malabar chestnut plants he grew as a side job. At the time, Wang says, only Japanese buyers used the plant as a garden tree, they wanted stems about 3 centimetres across, and growing a stem to that size took two years. Braided plants reached it in one year, and the price rose by nearly double. Wang and his wife taught more than 40 households, and he did not apply for a patent.
Other retellings add the year and vary the detail. Academia Sinica says it “supposedly” began in 1986 with a container-truck driver. Wang Jui-min repeats the 1986 date and the five plants from news reports. The New York Botanical Garden calls the origin “rumored” and says a truck driver in Taiwan grew the plant as a bonsai. Storm Media’s January 2025 explainer gives the same driver, wife and typhoon and names Wikipedia as its source, which makes it an echo of the encyclopedia and not a new witness. In 2017 Up&Down News reported that Chung Wu-chou of the Malabar Chestnut Committee confirmed the driver’s name and his home township.
The storm is real. Wikipedia’s summary of agency track records gives Typhoon Wayne a life from 16 August to 6 September 1986 and says it struck western Taiwan on 22 August. The 2006 Liberty Times article says the typhoon hovered over Taiwan for nearly half a month. I could not match that figure to a track record, so the 1986 date rests on the storm existing and the retellings agreeing.
The commercial result is documented. The Liberty Times reported 1,800 sea-freight containers and NT$250 million of exports in 2005, with about NT$2 to 3 billion earned over 20 years. Up&Down News reported that annual exports peaked at about NT$700 million before 2000 and had fallen to roughly NT$70 million, about a tenth of the peak.
Who called it the “fortune tree” is less settled. Four accounts say four different things about the name.
| Account | Date | Who gave the “fortune tree” name |
|---|---|---|
| Wang Ching-fu, Liberty Times | 2006 | Not mentioned; he says braided plants entered China “10-odd years” earlier under the slogan 五福臨門、節節高昇 |
| Up&Down News | 2017 | Taiwanese traders, after the 1997 financial crisis (the source names Korea’s), selling five-braid plants in Guangzhou |
| Marie Claire Taiwan | 2025 | A Taiwanese potted-plant trader in the 1980s, in a story that is “said” to explain the name and that the magazine calls a beautiful misunderstanding |
| Storm Media, citing Wikipedia | 2025 | Wang himself, when he created the braided pot |
The takeaway is that the braid has a first-hand source and the name does not: the sources agree on a Taiwanese origin and disagree on who attached “fortune” to it.
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→ View My Garden CalendarWhat do the five trunks of a money tree mean?
Five braided trunks mean “five blessings at the door” (五福臨門) in the slogan Taiwanese growers used in China, while English-language guides give other meanings for three, five, seven and eight trunks. In the Liberty Times, Wang says the braid is made of five plants and that growers entered the Chinese market with the saying 五福臨門、節節高昇, “five blessings arrive, rising higher at every node.” The slogan came after the braid, because he describes braiding on a whim first. Up&Down News gave the same reading in 2017: five braids for 五福臨門, and the stem nodes for steady advancement (步步高升).
| Trunks | Reported meaning | Who says it | How well sourced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Happiness | be.green, a plant blog | One blog; no source cited |
| 5 | Five blessings at the door; rising at every node | Wang Ching-fu (2006); Up&Down News (2017) | First-hand growers’ slogan for the Chinese market |
| 5 | Wealth | be.green | One blog; no source cited |
| 5 | The five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water | EasyPlant (five stalks); LoveToKnow (the whole plant) | Retail and lifestyle sites; no tradition cited; the New York Botanical Garden and Marie Claire Taiwan attach the elements to the leaves instead |
| 7 | Good health | be.green | One blog; no source cited |
| 8 | A “golden cage” of eight stems, eight being auspicious in feng shui | LoveToKnow, as a tradition | One site; no source cited |
The takeaway is that only the five-trunk slogan traces to someone who sold the plant, and every other trunk-count meaning comes from a guide that names no source.
The “five blessings” are an old Chinese list, and wealth is only one of them. Wikipedia’s entry on the wufu quotes the Book of Documents, chapter Hong Fan, which names long life, wealth, health, love of virtue and a peaceful death. A tree sold under that slogan therefore promises more than money, although most guides shorten it to wealth.
The five-elements reading is where the sources split. EasyPlant ties wood, fire, earth, metal and water to the five stalks, and LoveToKnow says the whole plant represents the five elements. The New York Botanical Garden ties the elements to the five leaves and lists “water, earth, fire, wind, and metal,” with wind where the other lists have wood. Marie Claire Taiwan says the palm-shaped leaves stand for the five elements. None of these cites a source for the idea, and the braid dates to the 1980s, so any reading attached to the braid is that recent. Leaf counts also vary, since NC State gives 5 to 9 leaflets.
Money tree vs money plant vs jade plant: which is lucky where?
All three plants are called a “money” plant somewhere, and each has a different place where it is the lucky one. The money tree is the lucky plant of the Taiwanese gift trade, the pothos is the “money plant” of many parts of the Indian subcontinent, and the jade plant is a plant that Chinese Wikipedia also lists under the name 發財樹.
| Plant | Botanical name and home | Where it is called lucky | Evidence for the luck | Pets (ASPCA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money tree | Pachira aquatica (southern Mexico to Bolivia and northern Brazil); Taiwan’s plant is P. glabra (Brazil) | Taiwan and Chinese-language trade as 發財樹; English-language feng shui lists | A 1980s growers’ braid and slogan; Lively Root cites no source | Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses |
| Money plant (pothos) | Epipremnum aureum (Society Islands) | Called a money plant in many parts of the Indian subcontinent (Wikipedia); listed by Lively Root as a wealth plant | Lively Root cites no source; NC State does not list “money plant” as a name | Toxic to dogs and cats (calcium oxalates) |
| Jade plant | Crassula ovata (South Africa) | “Lucky Plant” and “Money Plant” in NC State’s names; 發財樹 in Chinese Wikipedia; wealth plant at the entrance or southeast corner per Lively Root | Lively Root cites no source | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses |
The takeaway is that the extension pages describe the luck as belief or do not mention it, and the documented difference that matters in a home with pets is the last column: the money tree is the one the ASPCA lists as non-toxic.
Another plant carries the name outdoors. Clemson Extension uses “money plant” for Lunaria annua, also known as honesty, a biennial in the mustard family. Our guide to the four houseplants called money plant sorts the care sheets for the indoor ones, and the jade plant vs money tree comparison covers how they differ in light, watering and lifespan. Where each sits in a feng shui layout is in our feng shui houseplant placement guide.
What do Victorian flower dictionaries say about money?
None of four Victorian flower dictionaries lists a money tree, because the braided plant is from the 1980s. I searched the text of Greenaway (1884), Flora’s Pocket Dictionary (1870), Tyas (1869) and Dumont (1851) for Pachira, Bombax, silk-cotton tree and money tree and found no match. Their wealth words go to plants such as corn, wheat and the beech.
| Plant | Greenaway 1884 | Flora’s 1870 | Tyas 1869 | Dumont 1851 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money tree | No entry | No entry | No entry | No entry |
| Beech | Prosperity | Prosperity | Prosperity | Prosperity |
| Corn and wheat | Corn: Riches. Wheat stalk: Riches | Corn: Riches. Wheat: Wealth | Wheat: Riches | Corn: Riches |
| Honesty and moonwort (Lunaria) | Honesty: “Honesty. Fascination.” Moonwort: Forgetfulness | Honesty (satin-flower): Honesty, sincerity, forgetfulness, fascination | Moonwort: Forgetfulness | Moonwort: Forgetfulness; no honesty entry |
The takeaway is that all four books agree the beech means prosperity, and none gives a plant with coin-like pods any meaning of wealth.
Tyas explains the Lunaria pods: the round silvery seed cases keep their brilliance and have “some resemblance to a piece of money.” He gives the plant forgetfulness. Clemson’s “money plant” is the same genus, so the Victorian books give the plant with money-like pods honesty or forgetfulness, and the wealth meaning of today’s money tree does not come from them.
From meaning to care
The meaning sits on a tropical wetland tree, so a money tree wants a warm room. NC State rates it hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12 and says to bring it indoors before temperatures fall to 45°F. The New York Botanical Garden’s houseplant guide adds one rule that matters for a braid: do not cut into a braided section of stems.
On pets, the ASPCA lists the money tree as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, although its page also lists nausea, vomiting and loose stool as signs. NC State rates the poison severity as low and says some sources report that the seeds are potentially toxic.
Our money tree (Pachira aquatica) care guide covers light, watering and the yellow-leaf diagnosis, and the money tree fertilizer guide covers feeding. If a braided trunk starts to split or the leaves drop, those pages are the next stop, and the flower symbolism guide covers what other plants mean when you give them.
Money tree meaning FAQ
What does a money tree symbolize?
A money tree symbolizes wealth and good luck, by tradition. NC State says people in Taiwan believed the braid locked in luck or fortune, and the plant has been valued in feng shui for prosperity.
Is a money tree really lucky?
No source shows that a money tree brings money. NC State and the New York Botanical Garden word the luck as belief, and Lively Root’s claim that it “brings wealth” cites nothing.
Who invented the braided money tree?
A Taiwanese truck driver named Wang Ching-fu is credited with it. He told the Liberty Times in 2006 that he braided five plants during Typhoon Wayne about 20 years earlier; later retellings date it to 1986.
How many trunks should a money tree have?
There is no rule. Academia Sinica describes three-trunk and five-trunk congratulatory pots, and five is the number Wang used and the one tied to the “five blessings” slogan. The meanings given for three, seven and eight trunks come from guides that cite no source.
Is a money tree the same as a money plant?
No, although the names overlap. A money tree is Pachira, a money plant is pothos (Epipremnum aureum) in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, NC State also lists “Money Plant” as a name of the jade plant, and Clemson Extension uses it for Lunaria annua.
Is a money tree Pachira aquatica?
By its common name, yes. A Taiwanese plant author says the braided plant grown in Taiwan is Pachira glabra, long mistaken for P. aquatica, and the New York Botanical Garden says the braided plant is one or the other.
Is a money tree safe for cats and dogs?
The ASPCA lists the money tree as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, although it also lists nausea, vomiting and loose stool as signs, and NC State says some sources report potentially toxic seeds. Pothos and the jade plant are listed as toxic to dogs and cats.
Sources
- NC State Extension. Pachira aquatica (Money Tree), Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. North Carolina State University
- Patterson, C. The Key to Good Fortune with Your Money Tree. New York Botanical Garden PlantTalk, 8 February 2024
- New York Botanical Garden. Money Tree (Pachira aquatica), houseplant LibGuide
- ASPCA. Money Tree (Pachira aquatica), Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
- ASPCA. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum), Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
- ASPCA. Jade Plant (Crassula argentea), Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
- NC State Extension. Epipremnum aureum (Devil’s Ivy), Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. North Carolina State University
- NC State Extension. Crassula ovata (Money Plant), Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. North Carolina State University
- Williamson, J. Money Plant (HGIC 1189). Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, 2014
- Greenaway, K. Language of Flowers. George Routledge and Sons, 1884 (Project Gutenberg ebook 31591)
- Flora’s Pocket Dictionary: A Lexicon of the Language and Sentiment of Flowers. Porter and Coates, Philadelphia, 1870. Internet Archive
- Tyas, R. The Language of Flowers: or, Floral Emblems of Thoughts, Feelings, and Sentiments. George Routledge and Sons, 1869. Internet Archive
- Dumont, H. The Language of Flowers: The Floral Offering. H. C. Peck and Theo. Bliss, Philadelphia, 1851 (Project Gutenberg ebook 71779)
- Zheng, X. 麻花馬拉巴栗 風靡全球 [Braided Malabar chestnut sweeps the world]. Liberty Times (自由時報), 23 March 2006 (in Chinese)
- Kong, D. 土壤失衡 久病纏身 發財樹馬拉巴栗從七億走向七千萬的凋零之路 [The decline of the fortune tree from NT$700 million to NT$70 million]. Up&Down News (上下游), 11 April 2017 (in Chinese)
- 專題文章：馬拉巴栗 [Feature article: Malabar chestnut]. Academia Sinica Digital Archives Resource Network (undated, in Chinese)
- Wang, J. (胖胖樹). 你以為的馬拉巴栗其實不是馬拉巴栗 [The Malabar chestnut you know is not the Malabar chestnut]. Independent Opinion, CommonWealth Magazine, 3 June 2023 (Wayback Machine copy, in Chinese)
- Tai, R. 發財樹 [Fortune tree]. Marie Claire Taiwan, updated 14 January 2025 (in Chinese)
- Shi, Y. 發財樹是什麼？為何能成為台灣重要外銷作物？竟源自一個貨櫃車司機的手 [What is the fortune tree?]. Storm Media (風傳媒), 29 January 2025 (in Chinese)
- Wikipedia. Pachira glabra
- Wikipedia. Pachira aquatica
- Wikipedia. Typhoon Wayne (1986), citing Japan Meteorological Agency, Hong Kong Royal Observatory and Joint Typhoon Warning Center records
- Wikipedia. Wufu (the five blessings), quoting the Book of Documents, chapter Hong Fan
- Wikipedia. Epipremnum aureum
- 維基百科. 翡翠木 [Jade plant, Crassula ovata] (in Chinese)
- be.green. The Chinese Money Plant: An Eye-Catching Ornament That Brings Good Luck
- LoveToKnow. Money Tree Meaning and Placement in Feng Shui
- EasyPlant. Money Tree Meaning
- Slaymaker, M. 17 Feng Shui Plants to Attract Money, Luck, and Positive Energy. Lively Root, updated 29 October 2026
