Pachira aquatica, a tropical wetland plant from Central and South America, got its common name “the Money Tree” from a bit of mythology about its origins: a poor man prayed for money and discovered this “odd” plant. After he took it home, he became rich selling the plants he grew from its seeds. Variations of this theme said he was able to make money because the plant wasn’t just one tree – it was five.

And that’s typically what you’ll see in nurseries – a plant that looks like its trunk is braided; it’s actually the five or sometimes even seven plants that are woven together to make one Money Tree.

Although the plant got its start in the Western Hemisphere, it’s also often referred to as a “Chinese” money tree because of its popularity in Asia as a personal or business gift. In Feng Shui, the Money Tree has become a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. 

This is a statement plant, bold and eye-catching that deserves a dedicated spot in your home. In fact, you aren’t going to want to move your Money Tree around a lot, as it will start to drop its leaves. If that happens however, please don’t fret; it will recover.

Here are a few more tips on keeping your Money Tree happy:

• Go with medium to bright indirect light.
• Water when this plant is 50-70% dry. They do not have a lot of root mass, so they prefer a dryer pot.
• Be sure to turn your Money Tree each time you water to allow for even growth and leaf development. 
• It likes a good misting now and again (remember, it’s a native of the tropics)
• Feed once a month during spring and summer while new leaves are being produced.
•  

We typically think of Jasmine as an outdoor shrub or vine, making our gardens smell wonderful with its blooms of star-shaped flowers. But you can also grow this plant indoors, and while it’s not difficult, it does require a little more maintenance than many houseplants.

Many indoor Jasmine plants bloom in winter, releasing a sweet fragrance in your home. The most demanding part of this houseplant is creating the conditions that allow it to bloom during winter. This is accomplished by making sure your plant is located in a cool room that gets lots of bright (but indirect) light during the day and is completely dark at night.

These conditions will also allow your plant to blossom more slowly, meaning you’ll get to enjoy its beautiful blooms and fabulous fragrance for a longer period of time.

These plants grow quickly and can either be used as hanging plants or upright with a little trellis support. Because they are vigorous growers, you’ll also need to prune your plant periodically – but wait until after it blooms so you don’t accidentally remove flower buds.

Caring for Your Jasmine

• Light: Avoid direct sunlight, but make sure you plant gets lots of bright light during the day. During rest periods (dormancy) make sure the room is dark at night and cool.
• Water: Jasmines don’t like dry conditions or soggy soil, and typically watering once a week will work well. Water less during periods of dormancy.
• Soil: Make sure your soil is well draining.
• Humidity. Jasmines dislike dry conditions, so don’t place near heating vents or ducts and consider using a humidifier to keep them moist.

The Firestick cactus looks like it’s ablaze, with pencil-like green stems topped with a bright array of fiery colors. A succulent native to South Africa, it provides a distinct silhouette to your plant decor.

In addition to its striking stems, this plant also features tiny green leaves that emerge at the tips of its stems. These leaves, though small, play a crucial role in photosynthesis, helping the plant thrive.

The stems can turn coral, pink, red, or yellow, depending on how much light your plant receives. The basic rule of thumb is that the more sun this plant gets, the hotter its stems seem to “burn.”

Be careful of these stems, however. If you are pruning your plant, you should wear gloves as the white sap that emerges when the stems are cut or break is caustic.

Caring for Your Firestick Cactus

• Light: Like most succulents, the firestick cactus likes bright, direct sunlight. It will not do well in low light situations.
• Water: It is very low maintenance and only needs to be watered every 2-3 weeks. In winter you only need to water once every 6-8 weeks.
• Soil: Use a soil for succulents that is well-draining.

The Philodendron Micans, also known as the Velvet Leaf Philodendron or Sweetheart Philodendron, is a popular houseplant prized for its lush, velvety-textured leaves and easygoing care requirements.

The defining characteristic of the Philodendron Micans is its stunning foliage. It emerges as a beautiful coppery-pink shade before the leaves turn a dark green color with a shimmering, velvety texture.

This plant can be trained to climb or trail gracefully from hanging baskets.

Caring for Your Philodendron Micans

• Light: The philodendron micans enjoys bright indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight as it can burn the delicate leaves, causing discoloration and crispy edges.
• Water: Allow the top two or three inches of soil to dry out before watering. If your plant’s leaves start to droop or curl inward, it’s another sign that your plant needs water.
• Humidity: Like most philodendrons, this plant prefers warm and humid conditions. Normal household levels of heat and humidity will do fine, however, as long as you keep your philodendron away from drafty areas or vents.
• Soil: Use a well-draining potting mix. A mixture of equal parts potting soil, perlite, and peat moss is ideal.

There’s something very romantic about cyclamen, one of our favorite winter houseplants.

Maybe it’s the petite blooms on long stems that stretch up above its green and silver foliage. Or the colors – cyclamen flowers come in shades of pink, violet, red and white and have a pleasing, sweet scent. Or those heart-shaped leaves.

We mention that they are our favorite winter houseplant, because unlike most indoor plants, their dormancy period is in the summer. Cyclamen are “tuberous perennials,” meaning they die down to their thick roots (tubers) in the heat of summer, then re-emerge and bloom again as the temperatures cool in fall.

Here are some tips for cyclamen care:

Light: Bright and indirect light in winter when the plant is actively growing. When dormant, keep your cyclamen in a cool, dark area with good ventilation.

Soil: These pretty plants like organically rich soil that drains well. Potting soil does well, but you might want to add some peat in to increase the acidity slightly.

Water: When leaves are present, the plant is actively growing and you should water when the first inch of soil below the surface feels dry. Do not overwater! It’s a common way to kill these plants. Don’t get the leaves or crown of the plant wet, which can lead to rot.

When the plant is dormant during the summer, reduce watering. All you are trying to do during this time is prevent the soil from entirely drying out.

Temperature and Humidity – Cyclamen plants don’t like extreme heat or dry air. Keep them away from drafts too. During the winter, when our air is so dry, cyclamen really want high humidity. Our suggestion would be keeping your cyclamen on a tray with pebbles and water. Just make sure that it isn’t sitting in the water, as that can cause root rot.

Feeding Time – Your cyclamen would appreciate some diluted liquid low-nitrogen fertilizer every couple of weeks while in full leaf. You don’t need to feed your cyclamen while it’s dormant.

The Philodendron ‘Princess’ is a beautiful and popular houseplant known for its stunning variegated leaves which have splashes of pink, white, and green.

This plant is relatively easy to care for, but it does have a few specific needs.

Caring for Your Princess

• Light: The ‘Pink Princess’ needs bright, indirect light. Light plays a large role in the amount of variegation you’ll see in the leaves, but placing it in in direct sunlight risks scorching the leaves.
• Water: You can allow the top half of your plants soil to dry out between waterings and then you should water well. This typically translates into watering once a week in the spring and summer and every two weeks in the fall and winter.
• Humidity: The Philodendron Princess prefers warm (65 to 79 degrees) and humid conditions. If the air in your home is dry, you can place the pot on a pebble tray filled with water. Avoid placing this plant in drafty areas or near vents.
• Soil: Use a well-draining potting mix. A mixture of equal parts potting soil, perlite, and peat moss is ideal.