A money plant and a money tree are two different plants. In the US, “money tree” almost always means Pachira aquatica, an upright tree with a braided trunk and leaves shaped like an open hand.
“Money plant” most often means golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum), a trailing vine with heart-shaped leaves.
The mix-up causes trouble because the two need different care, and only one is safe around pets.
Once you can spot the trunk or the vine, you’ll know how to water, light, and place the plant you have, and whether to keep it away from your cat.
Money Plant and Money Tree at a Glance
The fastest way to tell them apart is the shape: a money tree stands up on a woody trunk, while pothos spills over the pot as a vine. Pachira grows from a thick, often braided trunk topped with palmate leaves. If you are stocking up, a good potting mix is the first thing I would pick up.
Pothos has no trunk at all, just long stems with heart-shaped leaves.
| Feature | Money Tree (Pachira) | Money Plant (Pothos) |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Pachira aquatica | Epipremnum aureum |
| Growth habit | Upright tree, braided trunk | Trailing or climbing vine |
| Leaves | Palmate, 5 to 7 leaflets | Heart-shaped, often variegated |
| Indoor size | 6 to 8 feet with time | Vines several feet long |
| Pet safety (ASPCA) | Non-toxic | Toxic |
| Water when | Top 2 inches are dry | Top inch is dry |
Both like bright indirect light and both rot in soggy soil. Past those basics, their care splits in useful ways, which I’ll cover section by section.
What Do People Mean by “Money Plant”?
“Money plant” is a nickname shared by several species, so the plant on your tag could be one of a few.
Golden pothos is the most common, followed by the Chinese money plant and the jade plant, with a few lesser-known lucky plants also wearing the name.
Golden Pothos: the Trailing Money Plant
Golden pothos is the plant most Americans get when they buy a “money plant.” Its botanical name is Epipremnum aureum, and it grows as a vine with glossy, heart-shaped leaves splashed with yellow.
You’ll see it trailing from shelves and hanging baskets in homes and offices. Popular varieties include ‘Marble Queen’ with cream streaks and ‘Neon’ with bright chartreuse leaves.
It’s one of the easiest houseplants to keep alive. It tolerates lower light and forgives a missed watering better than most plants.
Chinese Money Plant: the One with Coin-Shaped Leaves
The Chinese money plant is Pilea peperomioides. Its leaves are flat, round discs held on long, thin stems, which earned it nicknames like pancake plant and UFO plant.
It stays small, about 8 to 12 inches tall, and makes baby plants around its base. Those babies are easy to pot up and give away, which is a big part of its charm.
Jade Plant and Other Plants with Lucky Names
Jade plant (Crassula ovata) is a succulent with thick, oval leaves that some people call a money plant or even a money tree. It needs much more sun and much less water than pothos or Pachira.
Swedish ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus) also goes by “money plant” in some places because of its round, scalloped leaves. Because so many plants share the name, I always check the botanical name on the tag before deciding how to care for a new plant.
How Can You Identify Each Plant?
Two checks sort out nearly every case: look at the stem first, then look at the leaves. A woody trunk points to a money tree, a long vine points to pothos, and round leaves on a short rosette point to Pilea.
Look for a Trunk or a Trailing Vine
A money tree has one or more woody trunks, usually 3 to 5 young trunks braided together while they were still bendy. The braid is a grower’s styling choice, since Pachira grows straight in the wild.
Pothos has green, flexible stems that trail or climb. You’ll often spot small brown bumps and aerial roots along the vine where leaves attach.
Pilea has a single short, upright stem with leaves crowded near the top. Jade has thick, branching stems that look like a tiny tree, but its leaves give it away instantly.
Compare the Leaf Shapes
Money tree leaves are palmate. Five to seven long, pointed leaflets spread from one central point, like fingers on a hand.
- Pothos: single heart-shaped leaves, smooth and waxy, often with yellow or cream marbling.
- Pilea peperomioides: round, coin-like leaves with the stem attached near the middle of the underside.
- Jade: fleshy, oval leaves that feel firm and rubbery.
If your leaves are split into separate leaflets, you have a money tree. If each leaf is one whole heart, you have pothos.
How Much Light Does Each Need?
Bright indirect light suits all three popular indoor plants, though jade wants more direct sun than the rest. The details below help you pick the right window for each.
Where to Place a Money Tree
I’d put a money tree within a few feet of an east-facing window, or set back from a south or west window. Gentle morning sun is fine, but direct afternoon sun scorches the leaflets.
Rotate the pot every week or two so the tree grows straight instead of leaning toward the glass. It tolerates medium light, though growth slows and leaves can drop in dim corners.
Keep it at 65 to 80°F and away from heat vents and cold drafts. Northeast and Midwest winters bring low light and dry heated air, so a spot closer to the window works well from November to February.
Where to Place Pothos, Pilea, and Jade
Pothos handles the widest range of indoor light. It grows in a north window or an office with fluorescent lights, though variegated types fade toward plain green in low light.
Pilea likes bright indirect light and leans hard toward the window. A quarter turn every few days keeps the round leaves even.
Jade is the sun lover of the group. It needs several hours of direct sun a day, so a south or west window suits it, especially in the Southwest where indoor rooms stay bright.
When Should You Water Each Plant?
Water each plant when its soil has dried to the right depth, which is about 2 inches for a money tree and 1 inch for pothos. Overwatering kills more of these plants than drought does.
Check the Soil Instead of Following a Fixed Schedule
Push a finger into the soil before you water. For a money tree, wait until the top 2 inches feel dry, which works out to roughly every 1 to 2 weeks indoors and less in winter.
Pothos is ready when the top inch is dry. Pilea likes a similar rhythm, and jade should dry out almost completely between drinks.
When you do water, soak the soil until water runs from the drainage holes. Then empty the saucer, because a money tree sitting in a full saucer is how root rot starts.
My guide on how often to water a money tree covers seasonal timing in more detail.
Prevent Soggy Roots with the Right Potting Mix
A well-draining potting mix and a pot with drainage holes do half the work for you. For a money tree, I use a peat- or coir-based mix with added perlite or pine bark.
That same fast-draining mix suits pothos and Pilea. Jade does best in a cactus and succulent mix. You’ll find my mix recommendations in the best soil for a money tree guide.
Recognize Signs of Watering Trouble
Learn these symptoms so you can adjust early:
- Yellow leaves and damp soil: overwatering or poor drainage. A few yellow lower leaves can also be normal aging.
- Brown, crispy edges: underwatering, dry air, sun scorch, or fertilizer salt buildup.
- Curling leaves: thirst, low humidity, heat, or pests.
- Soft or mushy money tree trunk: rot. Cut out a dead trunk from a braid at the base.
Money trees like 50% humidity or higher, but they tolerate average home air. A small humidifier works better than misting during dry winters.
How Large Do They Grow Indoors?
A money tree grows into a small indoor tree of 6 to 8 feet with time, while pothos spreads out as long vines and Pilea stays under about a foot tall. Pruning keeps any of them in check.
Upright Growth vs. Trailing Growth
Pachira is a tropical wetland tree from Central and South America that reaches up to 60 feet in the wild. In a pot, it usually tops out at 6 to 8 feet, and pruning holds it at 3 to 6 feet.
Epipremnum aureum grows sideways and down. Its vines reach several feet long indoors and climb higher if you give them a moss pole.
Outdoors, a money tree lives year-round only in USDA zones 10 to 12, such as South Florida and Hawaii. Elsewhere it can spend summer in shade and should come inside before nights drop below 50°F.
Pruning, Repotting, and Checking for Pests
Prune a money tree in spring or early summer, cutting just above a node. New branches form below the cut, and I never remove more than about a third of the plant at once.
My steps to prune a money tree walk through where to cut.
Repot every 2 to 3 years in spring, going only 1 to 2 inches wider. Pothos can be trimmed anytime it gets leggy, and the cuttings root easily.
Check leaf undersides each time you water. Spider mites leave fine webbing and speckled leaves, while mealybugs look like small cotton tufts. If you spot webbing, my guide to spider mites on indoor plants shows how to clear them.
Which Plants Are Safe Around Pets?
Money trees and Chinese money plants are the pet-safe choices, while pothos and jade are toxic. If you share your home with cats or dogs, this difference decides which plant belongs on a low table.
Why Pothos and Jade Need to Stay Out of Reach
The ASPCA lists pothos as toxic to cats and dogs. Chewing the leaves causes mouth irritation, drooling, and vomiting.
The ASPCA also lists jade plant as toxic to pets, with vomiting and lethargy among th