This tree, Pachira Aqautica or commonly called the Money Tree, has long been popular in Japan and the Feng Shui world for its powers of good fortune and positive energy. It’s not actually a single tree, but a number of trees braided together with a lot of symbolic meaning. I talked to expert Feng Shui master, Katherine Anne Lewis, to find out more.

Money Trees come in bonsai size up to seven feet tall, and for those us without a green thumb it’s very hardy and easy to care for. When I asked Katherine Anne about just why it’s good to have in your home or office she first explained, “If you look at it you’ll see it’s intertwined. The smaller trees may have three trunks and the bigger five…the more trunks it has the more money it will bring. Each one represents the flow of a river and if you think of the word currency and current, it represents the flow of money coming into your house.” Katherine Anne then added, “Also besides money, the tree is about good health and relationships.”

I mentioned that I read the tree also typically has five leaves. She explained that, “In the Feng Shui world, you always want the five elements represented: water, wood, fire, metal and earth. With these five elements you need to create harmony in your space and the five leaves represent that.” Like a four leaf clover, the money tree is believed to bring good luck. Typically you’ll see five leaves, but a stem that yields you six or even seven leaves (with seven being the rarest) is thought to bring really good fortune.

Where you place the tree in your home or office is important. Katherine Anne advised, “Feng Shui has nine life areas and you want to place your Money Tree in your wealth area which is the southeast corner of your home or your office. Also, when you have a Money Tree you want to make sure you don’t put it on the ground. Often when you use a Feng Shui remedy you want it to not be on the floor. The reason with the Money Tree is that if it’s on the floor, you’re saying you don’t want a lot of money to come in. Or it will flow out of your home…symbolically into the ground.” Katherine Anne advised we can increase our wealth by putting planter feet risers under it, or placing it in a stand or on a table.

When picking out your Money Tree, Katherine Anne says you want a thick trunk. “If the tree is sturdy then your money will be stable. It’s a stronger foundation.” The last important thing she mentioned is that if your Money Tree ever dies, then you have to immediately replace it. “It doesn’t mean something bad will happen, but that the job of a Money Tree is to eat any negative chi (energy). If it’s dead, it’s done its job for you. The new one will create new positive energy and the second one will be even stronger…it’s the perfect plant for you to have in your home.”

Caring for your Money Tree:

1. Don’t overwater it
2. While it grows in both sun and shade, it prefers a combination of the two
3. The roots like to be overcrowded, so when repotting, don’t pick a pot too big for the plant. If you want to use a bigger pot, keep it in its original pot and simply put some Spanish moss to fill. Then maybe after six months more of growth, you can then transfer it to the bigger pot.

Now sit back and enjoy the good fortune and health your Money Tree will bring you!

Katherine Anne Lewis is a Feng Shui Master and the founder of Harmony and Balance, Inc., a Feng Shui consulting business in Los Angeles where she has worked with over 2,000 clients including celebrities, interior designers, architects, developers, studios, and corporate leaders all over the country. Her journey began fourteen years ago studying the “Tibetan Tantric Black Hat Sect” and the “Luo Pan Compass” methods of Feng Shui. She received her initial certification from an International Certified Tibetan Grand Master and is one of only a handful of masters practicing in Los Angeles. Katherine Anne was also chosen by the Los Angeles Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Los Angeles. You can find out more about Katherine Anne and The Blueprint Room™ - her interactive online consultation to get any room in your house Feng Shui-ed at harmonyandbalance.com!