Quick Answer: What Does Money Tree Mean in Chinese?
In Chinese plant shops, money tree (发财树, fācáishù) commonly refers to a Pachira. The name expresses a wish for prosperity and can refer to either Pachira aquatica or Pachira glabra. Both can be sold as potted plants.[1][2][3]
- Pachira: Look for leaflets that spread from a common point, like the fingers of a hand. Some plants are sold with braided stems.[1][2]
- ZZ plant: The similar-sounding jin qian shu (金钱树, jīnqiánshù) usually means a ZZ plant, with thick leaflets in rows along upright stalks.[4][6]
- Chinese money plant: This English name usually means Pilea peperomioides, known in Chinese as 镜面草 (jìngmiàncǎo). Its flat round leaves sit on long stalks.[7][8]
A money-related name gives you the symbolism. Use the botanical name to identify the plant before choosing a spot for it.[1][2][6][8]
A braided Pachira and a round-leaved Pilea can both turn up in a search for money plants. The two plants look quite different once you know where to look.
Four Plants With Money-Related Names
The English words “money plant” are especially broad. Match the name to the plant’s leaves and stems. A braided stem helps recognize the shop style, but it cannot separate the two commonly sold Pachira species.[1][2][3][5]
| Retail label | What the plant usually is | Как распознать |
|---|---|---|
| Money tree | Pachira aquatica or Pachira glabra | Palmate leaves, with leaflets spreading from a shared point. Multiple stems may be braided.[1][2][3] |
| ZZ plant | Zamioculcas zamiifolia | Even rows of smooth, thick leaflets along upright stalks.[4][6] |
| Chinese money plant | Pilea peperomioides | Flat, coin-shaped leaves at the ends of slender stalks.[7][8] |
| Jade plant or money plant | Crassula ovata | Fleshy oval leaves in pairs on branching stems.[11] |
Why a Braided Money Tree Is a Popular Gift
The Chinese name fācáishù joins fācái, to gain wealth, with shù, meaning tree. The name makes the plant an easily understood wish at a home or business opening. It fits alongside other Chinese symbols for wealth, though the plant is also sold as ordinary indoor greenery.[1] The same wish can be expressed through a wearable object, such as a Pixiu bracelet.[13]
Taiwanese growers have documented producing ornamental Pachira with several stems that can be braided. The familiar braid is a cultivated form. A single-stemmed Pachira can be sold under the same name.[1][5]
How to Choose a Spot for the Plant
Some modern feng shui (风水, fēngshuǐ) interpretations place a prosperity plant in an area associated with wealth. The choice depends on the school and how its bagua map is aligned.[9][12]
For Pachira aquatica, choose indirect light and a potting mix that drains. Check the light at the leaves, especially when a corner is some distance from the nearest window. If you are choosing among different feng shui plants, compare light and floor space before deciding.[2][6][8][11]
FAQs About Money Tree Plants
Is a Money Tree the Same as a ZZ Plant?
Pachira and ZZ plants are different. On Pachira, several leaflets radiate from one point. On a ZZ plant, the leaflets line an upright stalk in rows.[2][6]
Does a Braided Trunk Identify the Species?
A braid shows how the stems were trained. Both Pachira species can appear under the money-tree label. Check the nursery’s botanical label, especially if species matters.[1][3][5]
Is a Money Tree Plant Related to Han Dynasty Money Trees?
The Han dynasty money trees (摇钱树, yáoqiánshù) were funerary sculptures with bronze branches and coin imagery. The potted plants have their own history as ornamental houseplants. The shared English name can obscure that difference.[1][10]
Источники
[1] National Forestry and Grassland Administration. 发财树，真的能发财？
[2] NC State Extension. Pachira aquatica
[3] Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Pachira glabra Pasq.
[4] Hunan Provincial Forestry Bureau. 金钱树的栽培与繁殖技术
[5] Taiwan Ministry of Agriculture. Pachira
[6] NC State Extension. Zamioculcas zamiifolia
[7] Hunan Provincial Forestry Bureau. 镜面草栽培要诀
[8] NC State Extension. Pilea peperomioides
[9] Ole Bruun. Cosmological Principles, Schools of Interpretation and the Feng Shui Compass
[10] Asian Art Museum. Money tree
[11] NC State Extension. Crassula ovata
[12] FengShui.info. Plants
[13] EclipticJew. Pixiu Bracelet Meaning How to Wear It and Feng Shui Rules