With this recurring column, we obviously hit the nerve of our newsletter readers perfectly and are continuing the series of particularly beautiful plants in March with the lucky chestnut, a member of the wool tree family that is very popular in this country. If you look carefully at the leaves of the Pachira aquatica, you cannot miss their hand-shaped distribution, similar to that of the chestnut leaf.
According to Far Eastern teachings, the lucky chestnut brings luck
In the Far Eastern feng shui teachings, this characteristic shape in the form of the "green hands" is considered a lucky charm, which can be held on to the impressively twisted trunk by its owner forever. Occasionally, so the tradition says, there would even have been people who would have caught and held money with the leaves of the money chestnut.
With advancing age, however, this type of money increase is likely to become more and more difficult, because the lucky charms from Brazil, Mexico and Peru are up to 20 meters high in their homeland. In this country, however, the owners usually have to be satisfied with a height of two meters, which makes the money chestnut a very representative plant for terraces and balconies, which is also extremely easy to care for, but not hardy.
Our short profile of the lucky chestnut
Many articles worth reading about growth, the shape of the flowers, but also about the growing conditions and care are already available for you in our garden journal for information. So today only the most important facts for the future lucky charm:
- Growth characteristics: upright with an umbrella-shaped crown
- Trunk: thick (very good water absorption), twisted (wickerwork can be continued by hand after purchase but can also be completely removed);
- Fruits: rather woody taste, but edible;
- Care: keep the loamy-sandy soil regularly moist and choose a partially shaded location; Nutrients and humus (NO lime) are vital;
Cut: Not required; simply remove dry or withered leaves by hand;
Incidentally, as a representative potted plant, the lucky chestnut is a very appealing gift for Easter, which the recipient can enjoy for many years. Depending on the size (25 to 180 cm), prices between 8.00 and 60.00 euros must be expected in gardening shops.