Malabar chestnut (money tree)
Pachira aquatica
Peanut-flavoured seeds from big pods; happy with wet feet.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: part shade to full sun
Size: about 30 ft tall, 20 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Central and South America
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, wildlife.
Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean, Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Malabar chestnut grows along the rivers and swamps of Central and South America, where the peanut-flavoured seeds have been roasted and ground by Indigenous peoples for centuries; sold as a braided money tree in Asian shops, it is a food plant forgotten in a pot.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, moist to wet soil, heat, and humidity; no frost. Plant a seedling; a 30-foot tree in the tropics, a houseplant anywhere.
Growing
Water generously; it tolerates flooding. Prune to keep it in bounds. Feed lightly.
Harvest and use
Pods split in the warm months to drop the seeds; roast, fry, or grind them like peanuts. Young leaves and flowers are cooked.
What to watch for
Cold; little else.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home