A money tree (Pachira aquatica) drops leaves for four reasons, and the leaf it drops tells you which. Leaves that yellow before falling, with wet soil and a trunk that feels soft at the base, are root and trunk rot from overwatering, the most common cause and the only urgent one. Leaves that wilt, brown at the edges and fall with dry soil are thirst. Lower leaves that yellow slowly and drop in a dim corner are a light problem. And green, healthy leaves that drop within a couple of weeks of bringing the plant home or moving it are shock, which passes.
Look at the fallen leaf's colour, feel the base of the trunk at the soil line, and check the soil below the surface.
What the fallen leaf tells you
| What you see | Most likely cause | Check this first |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves yellow before dropping, soil wet days after watering, trunk soft or dark at the soil line, sour smell | Overwatering and root or trunk rot | Squeeze the trunk base; root check |
| Leaves wilt, brown at the edges and drop, soil dry and shrunk from the pot, pot light | Underwatering | Soil to the bottom; pot weight |
| Lower leaves yellow slowly and drop over weeks, plant in a dim spot, stems stretching | Too little light | Distance from a window |
| Green healthy leaves drop within two weeks of a move, repot or purchase, soil neither wet nor dry | Shock | Recent changes |
| Leaves drop after a cold night near a window or door, or near a heater | Cold or hot drafts | Position; temperature |
| Leaves drop with sticky film, webbing or cottony spots | Pests | Undersides of leaves and leaf stalks |
Overwatering and root or trunk rot
The money tree's thick braided trunk stores water, and in a pot that stays wet the roots suffocate and the rot moves up into the base of the trunk. Leaves yellow, often from the lower ones upward, and drop. The trunk feels soft, spongy or dark at the soil line. The soil is wet days after watering and the pot may smell sour. A soft trunk base is the most serious sign on this page; a rotted trunk rarely recovers.
What to do: squeeze the trunk gently just above the soil. Firm means the rot has not reached it. Soft means it has. Slide the plant out. Healthy roots are white to tan and firm; rotted ones are brown, soft and slide apart. Trim all rotted roots, remove the old soil, and repot in a fresh gritty mix (potting soil with plenty of perlite or coarse sand) in a pot with drainage, no larger than the roots need. Water once lightly and then not again until the top few centimetres are dry. If one braid of the trunk is soft and the others firm, unbraid it if possible and cut the soft one away; if the whole base is soft, root a healthy stem cutting from the top as a new plant.
Underwatering
A money tree left dry wilts its leaves, browns them at the edges, and drops them, usually the older leaves first. The soil is dry to the bottom, the pot is light, and the soil has often shrunk away from the pot's rim so water runs down the gap.
What to do: water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage hole; if the soil has shrunk from the rim, stand the pot in a basin of water for twenty to thirty minutes to rewet from below. Then check the soil by finger weekly and water when the top few centimetres are dry. Leaves that dropped do not come back; new ones do.
Too little light
Money trees are sold for dim offices and tolerate them for a while, but in too little light the plant cannot support all its leaves and sheds the lower ones slowly, yellowing them first, while new growth comes in small with long gaps between leaves.
What to do: move it to bright indirect light near a window. Direct hot sun through glass scorches; morning sun is fine. Judge the fix by the next new leaves.
Shock after a move, a repot or a purchase
Money trees are grown in warm humid greenhouses and often drop a flush of green leaves within a couple of weeks of arriving in a drier, dimmer home, or after being moved or repotted. The soil is neither wet nor dry, the trunk is firm, and the leaves that fall are healthy.
What to do: nothing except steady care in one bright spot. The drop stops within two or three weeks and new leaves follow.
Cold and hot drafts
Money trees dislike anything below about 15 degrees Celsius and dislike hot dry air from heaters. A night near a cold window or an outside door, or a spot above a radiator, makes them drop leaves. What to do: move the plant to a spot with steady warmth away from drafts and heaters.
Pests
Spider mites, scale and mealybugs weaken a money tree and cause yellowing and leaf drop. Look for fine stippling and webbing on the undersides, brown bumps on the stalks, white cottony specks in the joints, and a sticky film. What to do: wipe, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil weekly for a month, and isolate.
The trunk squeeze and root check
The trunk squeeze takes two seconds and separates the emergency from everything else: firm at the soil line means the trunk is sound, soft means rot. If the trunk is firm and the soil is wet, slide the plant out and look at the roots anyway; roots rot before the trunk does, and catching it there saves the plant.
What to do today, by cause
- Rot: squeeze the trunk, unpot, trim rotted roots and any soft trunk, repot in gritty mix, water sparingly.
- Underwatering: soak thoroughly, rewet from below if the soil has shrunk, check weekly.
- Too little light: move to bright indirect light.
- Shock: leave it in one spot for two or three weeks.
- Drafts: move to steady warmth.
- Pests: wipe, treat weekly for a month, isolate.
Frequently asked questions
Will a money tree grow back leaves it dropped?
Yes, once the cause is fixed. New leaves grow from the tips of the stems within a few weeks in bright light and warmth. Dropped leaves do not reattach, and a stem that has lost all its leaves can be cut back to encourage branching.
Why is my money tree dropping green leaves?
Because it has been moved, repotted or brought home recently and is adjusting to a drier, dimmer place, or because it sits in a draft. Green leaf drop with a firm trunk and moist soil is shock; keep the plant in one bright spot away from drafts and it stops within a few weeks.
How do I know if my money tree is overwatered?
The soil is still wet days after watering, the pot is heavy, the leaves yellow before they drop, and the trunk feels soft at the soil line. Slide the plant out: brown, soft roots confirm it. Trim them and repot in gritty mix.
How often should I water a money tree?
When the top few centimetres of soil are dry, thoroughly, and then not again until it dries to that depth. In most rooms that is every one to three weeks, longer in winter. The trunk stores water; the plant tolerates waiting far better than it tolerates a wet pot.