Money tree, Crassula ovata / argentea - care of the penny-tree


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Money tree Crassula

The pleasantly easy-care money tree we know well, so well that it is in the vernacular with a variety of names such as penny, thick leaf, Speckeiche, jade shrub, elephant tree, Judas tree or German oak considered. It is less well-known that he can become an attractive flowering plant with the right stimulation for flower induction. In addition to the instructions for care and flower induction you will get to know interesting relatives of the most famous Crassula species, which are also cultivated as ornamental plants.

Characteristics

  • The money tree belongs to the category "Cacti & Succulents"
  • In terms of ornamental value, it is usually traded as a leaf ornamental plant
  • Here adult money trees can bloom beautifully and lush
  • What they seldom do in the absence of proper flower induction
  • Only in cool, dry hibernation does it work for us with the flower
  • Otherwise, the care of the money tree is a breeze
  • Location: as sunny as possible, otherwise the "leaf decoration" is limited to "green in green"
  • Watering: As careful as possible (waterlogging!) And almost not in winter
  • Plants: In loose (cactus) soil, fertilizing with green plants or cactus fertilizer
  • In addition to Crassula ovata, some genera are cultivated as ornamental plants

Location, light

The succulent leaf ornamental plant reaches a height between 50 cm and 1.30 m. The Pfennigbaum grows quite shrubby, but with its fleshy, oval-rounded leaves but significantly more massive than non-succulent houseplants. Crassula ovata branches richly and creatively in all directions - with its shiny, reddish-edged foliage on many shoots, which seemingly somewhat "uncoordinated" screwed into the air, it may well resemble a coral. The 1.30 m should denote the expected maximum height of growth.
You probably will not use such a monster-penny-tree, but in the image of the giant one can look at the growth of a money-tree very well: the tendency is clearly broad, at least as much as in height. Even for one of the more compact varieties, which do not exceed 50 cm in height, you will need a fairly spacious pitch in the long run.
It will take a few more years until the newly-acquired seedling or the cutlery that has come in as a gift (money trees are said to make their owners rich). The young plant will find its place everywhere, which is why you should give it one of the brightest spots your living spaces have to offer. The reason: Crassula ovata belongs to the flora of the Cape flora, and this South African Kapensis (the smallest of the six continental floral kingdoms) is "a little closer to the equator" than Germany, the Pfennigbaum gets in his homeland also "a little more light" than at us.
This applies to spring, autumn and the location during the wintering (more below). The plants in the "brightest locations" get their light here through the window glass, in the result even a little less light intensity, actually that is rather dark for a South African plant than light. A sunny, warm location on the south window is therefore quite appropriate.

Money tree Crassula


If you read (as often) that a penny tree gets by with a few hours of morning or evening sun, that may be true in terms of "pure survival." However, such information could also be the reason why the majority of German money trees do not make it from the "single green" to the stage "colorful leaf ornamental plant". There is even a source that gives the money tree a minimum illuminance of 1800 lux - bright room lighting has an average of 500 lux, bright office lighting around 600.
A good balance for low light indoor culture is a summer location in the garden or on the balcony. But please, with careful habituation to the direct sun (also plants get sunburn) and protected from constant irrigation.
In terms of humidity, the money trees, unlike many other tropical plants, do not cause any problems, succulent plants can tolerate any dryness of the air (if they have gotten enough water from below to fill their reservoirs).
In terms of temperatures, the money tree tolerates everything that can happen on the edge of a South African Karoo or Namib desert with sometimes very hot days and quite cold nights; You will never exhaust this range in the German home.

Care of the money tree

The care of the money tree in our latitudes is not particularly complicated, especially the high temperature and dryness tolerance fit well with our culture. In addition, succulents "brand Crassula ovata" (you will get to know a few other ornamental plants of the genus below) are robust contemporaries who forgive even one or the other (minor) care mistake.Of course, they thrive better without care mistakes, z. For example, care after the following instructions:
  • Plant in ready-made cactus soil or 50% potting soil + 25% sand + 25% clay granules
  • Water well in summer until water runs into the coaster
  • Remove this water after a few minutes
  • Only add water again when the substrate is almost dried out
  • In the rest period from October to February pour only moderately
  • With just enough water that the earth does not dry out completely and no ball dryness occurs
  • As always: avoid waterlogging, succulents are especially prone to root rot
  • Rainwater is pleasant, not too Kalkhaltiges tap water is also suitable
Tip: After purchasing, make sure that the succulent plant is "filled up". If the plant is slack and leaves thin and soft, you should water a little more. Only as long as each leaf shines full filled, in the drain tank, water must never remain standing during this "storage filling cure".
  • Fertilization in the first year is not at all, when in standard (pre-fertilized) potting soil was potted
  • Otherwise in the growth phase from April to September
  • Amount depending on nutritional value of the mixture used
  • Overall, rather reserved fertilize, Crassula ovata comes in doubt better with too few than too many nutrients
  • Suitable is z. As liquid fertilizers for green plants and / or cacti
  • In more humus rich soil with many organic ingredients in half recommended concentration
  • Cactus or loose mixture with a lot of sand / mineral components tolerate a little more fertilizer
  • Repot when the roots "scratch the pot wall" or look out of the drain hole
  • In the first season after repotting in fresh potting soil from the trade the money tree needs again no fertilizer
Tip: If the words "pour well until water runs into the saucer" above, this presupposes that the plant grows in a substrate suitable for plant growth: loose, ie permeable to water, but nevertheless composed in a kind of composite that stores water can. Unfortunately, there are still too many commercially available potting products that quickly turn into a substrate unsuitable for plant growth, which is neither loose nor storable. If you pour in it, water runs out pretty quickly ("water always finds its way", as the old roofer preached), but that just happened to go straight through the roots without detouring... longer diving helps in such cases in the short term, repotting fresh earth is the better idea in the long term.

flower induction

Money tree Crassula

The money trees can flower, very pretty even, with small white to white-pink star flowers, which are adorned inside by small flower crowns and by the fine long stamens very lively. These flowers first develop the older specimens, but then one of the pretty inflorescences next to the other - provided that you overwinter the penny in a way that stimulates the flower induction.
Hibernation stimulates the money tree to flower induction. When done under conditions similar to hibernation in the home of the money tree. The money tree blooms in South Africa in winter, from June to August. At about the same temperatures as in our summer, in this direction, nothing stands in the way of a blossom of the money tree.
The bloom induction of the money tree takes place in the South African autumn / winter beginning, ie in our spring. At temperatures that roughly correspond to our living room temperatures during the day and tend to go from 15° C at night to 10° C at night. If the money tree is to set flowers, so he would have to stand for a while soaking warm. However, since you do not want to change the money tree every day, you can best give it the necessary coolness by keeping it cool and bright over the winter. For example, together with other exotics in the cold house, at temperatures between 7 and 14° C, or in a suitable adjoining room.
For flowering induction also a slightly drier attitude than during flowering, so you pour the money tree very moderately (sip-wise) and only when the potting soil feels dry to the depth.
If the money tree has spent the summer in the garden (on the balcony), you can just leave it there (and gradually pour less) until the night temperatures settle at 7° C. In frost, it is converted to winter quarters, usually this treatment is sufficient for flower induction, in the variant in the garden of the money tree is so exactly according to normal changing temperatures exposed.
If you need to overwinter the tree for lack of cool room at room temperatures, it should also be kept dry during that time to reduce its growth.If you do not force the money tree to rest during sparing under such conditions by sparing watering, then it will warmly try to grow, but produce nothing but long pale thin shoots in the dim winter light.

To cut

You can prune a money tree when and how you like, it actually expels from every healthy part of your plant.

Money tree Crassula


Is due for a cut z. B. to remove the just described long thin Geiltriebe at the beginning of the growth phase or to remove damaged / soft / rotting plant parts.
But you can also shorten shoots that only interfere visually, a too tall grown penny (after two or three decades) cut at breast height or pull the money tree with a radical shape cut as a bonsai.

Types and varieties

Crassula ovata, the most well-known money tree, is offered (also under the synonyms C. argentea, C. obliqua, C. portulacea) in different varieties, which differ in leaf form and color:
  • C. ovata 'Gollum' develops sausage fingers like the name godfather
  • C. ovata 'Hobbit', also tubular leaves + compact growth, hardly distinguishable from 'Gollum'
  • C. ovata 'Hummel's Sunset', lots of red in the leaf, abundant flowering
  • C. ovata 'Tricolor', leaf ornament in yellow, green and pink
  • C. ovata 'undulata' makes a pretty good wave
  • C. ovata 'variegata', yellow-striped leaves on a greyish-green background

Money tree Crassula


The Crassula are a species-rich plant genus of the family Dickblattgewächse (Crassulaceae), currently nearly 300 species are recognized. Some of these are cultivated as houseplants, in various shapes and sizes, but we have no problems with this except Crassula ovata:
  • Crassula arborescens: Again a trip to literature, this time in the Discworld
  • Crassula falcata, "disc leaves" under exciting red flower
  • Crassula muscosa, a many-leaved "green cone" on the other
  • Crassula pellucida, triangular leaves in green, white, pink
  • Crassula perforata grows in neatly geometric, red-edged squares
  • Crassula rupestris, perforata in small
Since the Crassulae breed happy varieties, the other money trees are often found in various forms, C. arborescens as undulata, C. muscosa as variegata etc.

proliferation

The propagation works very simply over cuttings: shoot cut, let it dry and plant in cactus soil.
Leaf cuttings can also be seeded, but often take weeks to months to form roots.
Problems cause the following typical care errors:
  • Too dark location: Sparriger growth, long thin Geiltriebe, color loss, in extreme cases Blattwurf
  • "Too good casting", waterlogging: most common cause of leaf shedding and "muddy shoots"
  • Too much water during wintering at living room temperatures: Geiltriebe, Wurzelelfäule
  • Pest infestation is rare, mealy lice and Co. can also shower well from the smooth leaves in doubt
Conclusion
If you have poured a money tree overly caring, it may be rescued by repotting plus removing soft shoots and putrid roots. However, if all parts of the plant feel soft, it is better to cut cuttings from the healthy shoots (and keep them in hydroponic culture at half-water level; excessive irrigation is excluded here).

Money tree, Crassula ovata / argentea - care of the penny-tree

FAQ - 💬

❓ How do you care for Crassula ovata money tree?

👉 Crassula ovata enjoys bright light, so a south or west-facing windowsill is ideal. Without sufficient sun, the plant will grow very slowly and may become leggy. With an excess of direct, scorching sun, the leaves may yellow a little.

❓ How do you take care of a money penny plant?

👉 Complete guide to Chinese money plant care

  1. Water your Chinese money plant when its soil feels dry – weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter.
  2. Apply a fertiliser every few months in spring and summer.
  3. Rotate her every few days to encourage even growth.
  4. Keep in a warm spot, ideally above 10°C.

❓ How do you care for Crassula argentea?

👉 They naturally grow in South Africa, thriving with at least six hours of direct sun and sandy, well-draining soil. Water these succulents thoroughly when dry, then allow them to dry out before watering again. Fertilizer is unnecessary, but you can give it fertilizer suitable for cacti once in the summer. Crassula spp.

❓ Does Crassula ovata need sunlight?

👉 Indoors Crassula ovata prefers a brightly lit position, preferably a south-facing or west-facing aspect, but it will grow in darker conditions. It can be moved outside to a warm, sunny patio in summer - but make sure you bring it back indoors before the weather turns cold in early autumn.Сохраненная копия

❓ Does jade tree need sunlight?

👉 ☀️ SunlightKeep your jade plant in bright light for at least six hours per day, according to Almanac. While mature plants can handle direct sunlight, younger plants require a bright space that's free of direct rays. Without proper sunlight, your jade plant will stop growing, or it'll grow tall and leggy.

❓ What conditions do Crassula need to grow?

👉 Choose a sunny spot, sheltered from afternoon sun, with well drained soil. Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser. If the soil is clay based, add gypsum and fork in well.

❓ Does Crassula ovata grow money?

👉 Well as your probably aware that Crassula Ovata “ Jade Plant, Money Plant ” doesn’t actually grow money. However, it was believed that growing this plant would bring your household prosperity and good fortune. This belief has made it one of the most popular succulent plant for both beginners and experts.

❓ What is a money tree & a cactus?

👉 The money or jade tree belongs to the so-called succulent plants, that means that a money tree – like a cactus – is extraordinarily rich in juice. Cacti belong to the most popular kind of succulents. Aside from that the money tree is another famous succulent which is also very decorative.

❓ What is a money plant?

👉 Hazel Sillver looks at how to care for this characterful long-lived succulent A mass of glossy oval leaves on tree-like branching stems, the money plant ( Crassula ovata) is one of the most distinctive indoor plants. It is prized in China and across the globe by practitioners of feng shui, for a supposed ability to attract good luck and wealth.

❓ Where do Money Trees grow in South Africa?

👉 The Crassula ovata was first described as Cotyledon ovata by Philip Miller in the year 1768. The money tree can be mostly found in South Africa – primarily in the provinces KwaZulu-Natal and Ostkap. The most varieties of the money tree exist as ornamental plants – mostly in the form of a houseplant or in predominantly sub-tropical gardens.

Video Board: Gollum Jade Plant | Picture Collection Of Beautiful Plants For Your Home Or Office.

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