Among the indoor plants, a special place is occupied by the fat girl, which is popularly called the "money tree". The birthplace of the plant is South Africa. From the arid African tropics, the fat woman spread to the west of the mainland, to the island of Madagascar and to southern Arabia. Let's take a closer look at this interesting view.
"Money Tree". Plant homeland and species description
In the genus of succulent plants (family Crassulaceae), there are about 350 species of plants. One of the species is a decorative-deciduous houseplant, Crassula, or Crassula. Other names are "tree of happiness", "tree of luck" or "money tree". The birthplace of the plant, as already mentioned, is South Africa. It is an evergreen perennial small tree with a short plump trunk. In height, it can reach 1-1.5 m. The fleshy thick leaves of Crassula have a rounded shape. They are 4-7 cm long, flat, often at the base fused together. They have a light gray or green color with a blue wax coating. An interesting pattern - each pair of leaves is located at right angles to the previous one.
Crassula flowers are large, pale pink or white. As a rule, they are collected in a semi-umbrella. There are practically no single flowers in the money tree. The Crassula blooms very rarely, not earlier than in the 7-10th year of the plant’s life, while emitting a strong sweet aroma.
Indoor plant care
Florists love the money tree indoor plant. His homeland endowed him with endurance and unpretentiousness. The plant grows by itself and very rarely dies even without proper care.
A pot with a fat girl is best placed on a windowsill behind a curtain. Because the "money tree" loves daylight, but not direct sunlight. The fat woman is very fond of fresh air. Therefore, in the spring-summer period it needs to be exposed more often to the balcony, shading from burning sunlight.
Watering the tree is enough 1 time per week. The birthplace of the money tree (Crassulaceae) is South Africa, where the climate is mostly arid. Therefore, waterlogging should not be allowed. From September to February, it is better to place the tree in a cool place and water no more than 1 time per month. It is very good to wipe the leaves every month from dust with a damp cloth.
The plant is transplanted into a larger pot every 3-5 years as necessary.
Crassula is propagated by processes or cuttings.
Bloom
Rarely anyone is lucky enough to see a flowering money tree. The homeland of the plant with a harsh climate determined the flowering of mature trees only. In order to increase the chances of flowering the rosula at room conditions, a number of conditions must be observed:
- do not fill the plant with water,
- summer night to take out to cool air,
- in winter, ensure a temperature of no higher than 10 degrees and reduce watering to 1 time per month,
- do not feed the plant with fertilizers,
- Do not transplant frequently, so that the fat woman becomes a little cramped in the pot.
Legends of the Fat Girl
In Feng Shui, the "money tree" brings luck and financial well-being to its owners. The stronger the tree grows, the more positive energy is accumulated in its leaves and trunk, and the more happiness it attracts to the house.
Florists say that the fat woman is able to attach to the one who cares for her all the time. If the owner becomes ill, the crassula is ill with him and may even die.