It impresses with its exotic beauty, elegant habit and the luscious green of its spreading leaves. Pachira is an excellent decoration for any interior. It is considered one of the easiest plants to maintain. Therefore, even if you are a beginner in houseplant growing and want to have a unique specimen in your collection, you may be tempted to get a pachira.

Pachira - bottle tree

The water pachira (Pachira Aquatica) is commonly referred to as bottlebrush or bottle tree. It is a tropical tree, native to Central America. It grows there in periodically flooded areas. In the wild, it is a giant tree - it grows up to 20 metres! It blooms with beautiful, showy flowers and bears edible fruit. Under domestic conditions, the pachira unfortunately does not flower or bear fruit. It also does not grow to that size. It usually reaches up to 2 metres. With its beautiful plume of leaves, it still remains extremely attractive. The water pachira grows quite fast, thickening up beautifully. It is perfect as a so-called solitary, set on the floor or in a tall pot or flowerbed. The biggest ornamental feature of the pachira is its large, green and glossy leaves. They are gathered at the top of the thickened trunk in a decorative, umbrella-shaped rosette. It is very common to see water pachira in the form of a braid formed by several stumps, topped with a lush head of leaves. Thanks to its unique beauty, it can be an exotic accent in a modern living room, bright hall, study, office, large bedroom or even a bright bathroom.

Pachira - how to care?

The Pachira is a very simple plant to grow. It does very well in a domestic environment. It is also an ideal plant for the office. However, it has a few requirements:

✔️ position

The ideal position for the water pachira is a very bright place with plenty of diffused light. Direct sun can burn the leaves of the plant.

✔️ temperature

As a tropical plant, the pachira prefers warmth and high humidity. It should stand in a room temperature (about 20-25°C). In winter, the temperature should be slightly lower (15°C). If the air is too dry, it is worth thinking about a humidifier.

✔️ substrate

A loosened, permeable substrate is best for the cultivation of water pachyra. It will help to avoid overflowing and root rot. This can be all-purpose soil mixed with perlite, sand, expanded clay or vermiculite.

✔️ watering and fertilising

When it comes to watering, we must not be misled by the floodplain origin of the pachyrium and its nickname 'watery'. Bred at home, it likes its substrate to dry well before the next watering. When watering a water pachira, care should be taken to ensure that the entire substrate is evenly moistened. During the growing season (March to October), the pachyderm should be fertilised with a suitable preparation. A fertiliser for green plants or a preparation with biohumus will work well. In winter, fertilisation should be discontinued and watering reduced.

Problems in water pachira cultivation

Water pachyra is rarely attacked by pest diseases. Problems in pachira cultivation are most often due to poor care. Too little or too much light, overwatering or watering too sparsely, dry air or sudden temperature changes. These are factors that can harm this plant, weakening it. As a result, its leaves may fade, turn yellow or fall off. In extreme cases, stunted growth of the water pachyra or diseases such as root and stem rot of the plant can occur. Pests that can attack the plant are thrips, mealybugs or scale. To get rid of them, remove each individual with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol and, after drying the plant, apply a spray from a dedicated disease and pest treatment. 

Pachira money tree

Pachira is a plant that is not only popular in our country. In Asian countries it is referred to as a 'money tree'. It is considered to be a plant that attracts luck, money and prosperity. For this reason, it is very often chosen as a gift that is a good omen for the future.