Pachira aquatica
Pachira aquatica as a houseplant.
Pachira aquatica (syn.: Bombax macrocarpum ( Schltdl. & Cham) K. Schum, Carolinea macrocarpa Cham & Schltdl, Pachira macrocarpa ( Cham. & Schltdl ) Walp. .. .. . ), Dt and wild cocoa tree or Money Tree, in Central Europe usually simply called Pachira. The home of the species is in Central America from Mexico to Costa Rica. In frost-prone areas, the ornamental plant Pachira is to cultivate only as a pot plant indoors or greenhouse.
Description of the plant
The evergreen deciduous tree reaches outdoor plant height 4-20 meters. He forms a slightly thickened base of the trunk, which also serves as a water reservoir. The bark is brown to gray, young twigs are strong green. On domestic location Pachira aquatica forms a broad crown. The stalked, composite, hand-shaped, leathery leaves are strong green and shiny, consist of up to nine leaflets.
The greenish- yellow or cream-colored flowers look similar to shaving brushes, through the many long, red at the top of stamens. The construction of the flowers suggests that bats are the pollinators. The big, brown, woody, 30 cm long fruits have a diameter of about 15 cm and the seeds can be eaten roasted. In plants it is often offered as a houseplant is Pachira glabra.
Ground
The Pachira thrives in the usual potting soil and in hydroponics. A variety of Hawaii is the rearing in a lava stone bonsai. The plant grows very slowly in the case. For this, a thumb-sized hole is drilled in a porous lava stone and set into the Pachira. The roots make their way through the lava rock and eventually blow it up.
Care
The Pachira likes a lot of light, but also tolerates partial shade temporarily, at room temperature between 12 ° C and 25 ° C. The plant prefers drying out between the Gießgängen. The best preservation can be achieved if it is kept rather dry. Especially in the winter months is to be careful not to pour too abundant. Dry heating air should be avoided, the best they sprayed daily, otherwise it can react with leaf litter. In the first year the plant should not be fertilized. After some fertilizer may be added in the summer every 2-3 weeks during casting. Under good growing conditions the plant is growing quite fast. If it becomes too large, it can easily be cut back to the desired size. After about 1-2 weeks form the sides of the cut-off points from new shoots.