Pachira aquatica – Guiana Chestnut (4″ pot) (grafted)

Description

Pachiras are some of the easiest plants to grow. They will grow from full sun to full shade, even indoors. They can handle quite a bit of water and can also handle some dryness. It is a forgiving plant when it comes down to watering. Pests and diseases also don’t seem to affect them. Perhaps the only thing that should be avoided is temperatures below freezing even though they will tolerate them for short periods of time. When mature, Pachiras provide very dense shade and will produce beautiful flowers.

P. aquatica is a rare and nicer cousin of the plant often sold as Money tree (P. insignis). This plant looks almost the same, but this one gets a much nicer flower. They are bigger and have a delightful fragrance at night. The flower opens in the evening and wilts by the morning. Flowers appear in succession and they appear several times a year. The fruit, if they happen to develop, are also very different. On the Money tree, the fruit is tennis-ball size and green. P. aquatica develops fruit that are brown and the size of a football. Inside of the fruit are chestnuts that can be cooked and eaten. Both plants will produce caudexes (fat trunk)wich is very desirable for plant collectors. 

FAMILY : Malvaceae
ORIGIN : Tropical America
TYPE/USES : large tree or potted plant
MATURE SIZE : up to 75 feet in the ground, but can be kept smaller or grown in a container if grafted
GROWTH RATE : fast
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS : full sun to shade
WATER REQUIREMENTS : average
MIN. TEMP. : low 30’s for a short period of time
FLOWER : on and off through out year