The World´s Tree Species: indoor

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Money Tree Plant - Pachira Glabra

One of the most common indoor potted tree plants is the "Money tree" (also known as the "Lucky money tree" or the "Bonsai money tree" or even "French Peanut"). There is considerable confusion it seems as to the species of tree that these "money trees" belong to. They are almost always listed as being "Pachira aquatica" in nurseries and plant shops. The truth however is that there are several species in the pachira genus that are used to make the braided money trees and in my opinion the most commonly used is not pachira aquatica but rather parchira glabra (sometimes called Bombax glabra or Bombacopsis glabra).

The differnce between the p. aquatica and the p. glabra can be easily seen in the fruit and the flower. p. aquatica has a flower with redish stamens while the p. glabra has a flower with creamy white stamens. The fruit of the p. aquatica is woody brown with a rough texture while that of the p. glabra is green and has a smooth surface.

These two distinctives are of little use however if what you are trying to do is identify a potted money tree plant that in all likelyhood will never have neither flower nor fruit pod. This leaves just the leaves as the source of differences to determine the true species.

One of the reader comments on my previous post about the p. aquatica tiped me off to the difference. The venation of the p. glabra is more horizontal with respect to the petiole while the p. aquatica is slightly more angled. From my observations the leaflet shape is also slighly different with the p. glabra being a bit more long and pointy and the p. aquatica a bit more round and less pointed.

The images above and below are from a braided money tree plant that was planted in the Torrremolinos botanical garden "molino de inca". I happend to come across it when it had fruit that was mature enough to check the color and texture.

Links to pachira glabra sites...
http://www.montosogardens.com/pachira_glabra.htm
http://www.kartuz.com/p/80057/Pachira+glabra.html
http://www.esalq.usp.br/trilhas/fruti/fr04.htm

Indoor Fiddle Leaf Fig care tips

The Fiddle Leaf Fig tree is commonly used as an indoor potted plant. It is relatively easy to care for, has large beautiful leaves and has a slow rate of growth. In this post I will list seven tips for caring for this tree species in an indoor environment as well as links to sites with more information.

Tip #One
Make sure your plant has right amount of light. Abundant but not direct light is recommended. Too little light will cause the plant to loose leaves and thin out. It also tends to grow towards the light giving the impression that it is leaning. Rotate the plant every so often to keep it growing straight and to ensure bushiness.

Tip #Two
Don´t over water the plant. The Fiddle leaf fig does well with short dry periods between waterings. The frequency of watering depends on the amount of light the plant gets. One good way to determine how often you should water is to let the pot dry out until the new growth at the top begins to wilt slightly. Calculate the time that elapsed from the last watering and subtract a day or two to determine the ideal frequency of watering. This way you will be watering the plant just before it starts to wilt the next time.
Read more at...
http://www.farmlifenursery.com/Web%20pages/Lyrata%20care.htm

Tip #Three
Prune to encourage branching and bushiness. The Fiddle leaf fig tends to grow a tall single stem when indoors. This long stem will normally not be able to keep itself upright and will require some sort of support. To encourage a more "tree like" form prune the plant at a desirable hight while the plant is still fairly young. It is recommended to do this in early spring before the new growth forms.
Read more at...
http://www.marketblooms.com/plantcare/pdf/FiddleLeafFig.pdf

Tip #Four
Be careful not to expose the plant to dry heat or drafts. Like other Ficus tree plants the Fiddle leaf fig has a tendency to drop its leaves when exposed to too much dry heat or drafts and go into a sort of dormant recovery mode for a period of time. Some figs such as the Sacred Fig will do this as part of their normal growth cycle just prior to the growth of new leaves.

Tip # Five
Clean the dust of the leaves once in a while to allow the plant to absorb as much light as possible. Often in indoor settings a layer of dust builds up on the leaves without our being aware of it and reduces the effective light that the plant gets. Every so often gently clean the leaves of with a soft cloth. Don´t try to do this with your hands as rubbing the leaves can damage them slightly and cause them to bleed little drops of white milky sap. Use latex gloves if you are allergic to this plant.

Tip #Six
Move your plant to an outdoor setting during the summer so that it can get more light. If you do this however transition it back indoors gradually at the end of the summer to avoid shocking the plant.

Tip #Seven
Trim the roots every year or two. The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a tree capable of growing to 40-50 feet tall with a normal root system for a tree that size. When roots grow in a small container they have little room to grow in and end up wrapping around the base of the container or growing out the bottom of the pot. Trimming the root system back during the dormant season will help keep the plant growth slow and will help maintain healthy roots.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg0718401415535.html

http://plantcareguru.com/plant_care/fiddle_leaf_fig.php

Over the years I have focused on taking pictures of trees and focusing on the interesting details and facts about trees. My two son's have grown up watchin their dad take pictures of trees and often going along on hikes to find some new tree. Now my oldest son has taken an active interest in photography and has created his own website. Manuel Livingstone Photogrpahy.

Dwarf Umbrella plant - Schefflera Arbicola

Where I live in Malaga these plants (sometimes small trees) are very common both as exterior and interior plants. The image above is of one in my apartment. While I have never seen them flower indoors it is quite common to see them flowering outdoors all over town.

I realize that the correct name for these is "schefflera arboricola" but I got used to calling it "arbicola" and since it is easier to remember it kinda stuck. The image below is of what I believe is the "fruit" of the Dwarf Umbrella plant, at least this is what forms after the flower.

Dwarf Umbrella plants can be very floppy and unruly so it can help to use a bamboo or cane shaft to keep the stems from flopping over. This plant has the tendency to grow multiple stems from its base.

One very creative idea that I have seen for this plant can be seen below. This idea makes the plant look more like a tree even though it has multiple stems.

A burlap fabric is wrapped around the stems to create the look of one thicker "trunk". Very neat idea.

Malabar Chestnut - Pachira Aquatica

The Pachira Aquatica is a popular house plant that goes by the names Malabar Chestnut, Money tree or Fortune tree. Being an aquatic plant it thrives with lots of water. The image above is of a Malabar Chestnut that I have in my living room and I have not found it difficult to care for.

The images above and below are of two different Pachira Aquatica trees from two different botanical gardens ("La Concepcion" in Malaga (above) and "Molino de Inca" in Torremolinos (below)). They seem a bit different in color,texture and shape which makes me wonder if in fact they are both Pachira Aquatica. The three images below are all form the same tree.