The Money Tree, Pachira aquatica, is a widely favored houseplant, often recognized by its braided trunk and palmately compound leaves. While generally considered easy to care for, a common aesthetic issue is the plant becoming disproportionately tall and thin. This elongated, sparse growth, known as legginess or etiolation, detracts from the desired full, bushy appearance. Correcting this requires understanding the environmental causes and applying precise horticultural techniques to encourage denser foliage.
Causes of Leggy Growth
The primary cause of a Money Tree developing a stretched, leggy habit is insufficient light exposure, a phenomenon called etiolation. When light levels are inadequate, the plant produces hormones that signal the stem to rapidly elongate internodes, the space between leaf nodes. This rapid upward growth is an attempt to reach a brighter light source, resulting in weak, pale, and sparse foliage rather than compact, sturdy growth.
Secondary factors can exacerbate this stretching, particularly if the plant is not routinely rotated. Allowing one side to consistently face the light source causes the stems to bend and stretch unevenly toward the illumination. If the braided trunks are tied too tightly or if multiple plants are severely overcrowded, the competition for light can accelerate the upward growth pattern. These conditions force the plant to prioritize height over lateral density, compromising its structural integrity.
How to Prune a Tall Money Tree
Corrective pruning is the most effective solution for rejuvenating an overly tall Money Tree and promoting a denser, bushier structure. Before making any cuts, sterilize your pruning shears or scissors with rubbing alcohol to prevent introducing pathogens. Using clean, sharp tools ensures a clean cut that heals quickly, minimizing stress on the plant.
Pruning should always be executed just above a leaf node, the slightly swollen area on the stem where a leaf or branch originates. This placement is important because removing the apical tip breaks apical dominance, stimulating dormant buds at the node. This hormonal shift releases the suppressed buds, stimulating the growth of two or more new lateral branches just below the cut.
For the most dramatic results and quickest recovery, heavy pruning is optimally performed during the late winter or early spring, just before the Money Tree enters its most vigorous growth phase. While light trimming can occur year-round, cutting back the longest, sparsest stems by up to two-thirds in spring allows the plant to use increased seasonal light and energy reserves for new, robust lateral growth. This strategic removal of leggy material forces the plant to redirect energy into developing side shoots, transforming a tall, thin specimen into a well-branched, compact form.
When deciding where to cut on a braided trunk specimen, ensure the cut is made on the individual stem you wish to shorten, taking care not to damage the adjacent braided stems. You can remove entire sections of stem, leaving only a few inches of growth, as the Money Tree is highly resilient and will typically bud back even from seemingly bare wood within a few weeks. The goal is to establish a lower, more uniform canopy height that allows light to penetrate to the interior and lower stems, setting the stage for future dense development.
Optimizing Light and Water Conditions
Once the plant has been pruned back to a manageable size, adjusting the environmental conditions is necessary for preventing a recurrence of legginess. Money Trees thrive when exposed to bright, indirect light, which provides the necessary photosynthetic energy without the risk of scorching the foliage. Ideal placement is typically within a few feet of an east-facing window, or a south or west-facing window where the intense afternoon sun is diffused by a sheer curtain or set-back distance.
If natural light is limited, supplemental lighting is a reliable way to maintain dense foliage growth. A full-spectrum LED grow light positioned to provide light for 12 to 14 hours a day can mimic the intensity and quality of natural sunlight required for compact internode development. Consistent, high-quality light ensures the stems do not elongate in search of illumination, maintaining the desired tight, stacked leaf structure.
Proper watering technique is equally important, as water stress can compromise the plant’s overall health and ability to produce dense growth. Money Trees prefer a thorough, deep watering followed by a period where the top two inches of soil are allowed to dry out completely before the next irrigation. This “soak and dry” method prevents the roots from sitting in perpetually saturated soil, which can lead to root rot.
Inconsistent watering, such as providing small, frequent sips or allowing the soil to dry out excessively, stresses the plant and can inhibit the formation of healthy, dense new growth after pruning. The frequency of watering will depend on the season, with summer requiring more frequent irrigation than the slower growth period of winter. When watering, ensure water flows freely from the drainage holes, indicating the entire root ball has been saturated, which is necessary for uniform nutrient uptake and root hydration.
Maintaining an average indoor temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 24 degrees Celsius) also supports the plant’s ability to recover and branch out fully. This consistent moisture management, paired with the correct light levels and temperature, provides the foundation for a robust and bushy growth habit. These adjusted conditions ensure the plant’s internal resources are dedicated to lateral development rather than survival stretching.