How Big Do Money Trees Get?

I've written about my Money Tree many times on this blog. It's one of my oldest and biggest houseplants. I often see people on plant forums ask which houseplants get the largest. Money Trees are often my recommendation if you want a large houseplant for a few reasons. They're relatively affordable, even in larger sizes. I often see them three feet or taller at home improvement stores for about $50. Money Trees are extremely easy to care for. Finally, they grow fairly quickly. But how big do Money Trees get?

How Big Do Money Trees Get?

How Tall?

Indoor Money Trees can grow up to about 6 to 8 feet. A lot of factors need to be right for that to happen easily though. If you have a Money Tree with a foot or smaller trunk, you'll be waiting some years to get that type of height. Mine probably had about a two-foot-tall trunk when I first bought it about eight years ago. Today, the trunk is only two and a half feet, but it's very thick and can support a lot of top growth.

You also need the windows to get a Money Tree to grow. They need a lot of light to grow this tall. My Money Tree, pictured above, begins to get scraggly once it grows taller than the window frame. The top of this window frame is about seven and a half feet tall. Luckily, Money Trees take a really big pruning like a champ. I chop mine down to about four or five feet every two years. See my post on pruning Money Trees for more info and pictures from the last chop.

How Wide?

Money Trees also seem to grow in a very vertical manner generally without support, which is even better. That means you can have a relatively large plant that doesn't take up a ton of real estate. That's a big upside for many plant people, because the one thing we want more of is space for more plants. For reference the plant above is about two feet square, which is not a wide spread for a plant so large.

Can you Keep it Small?

I've mostly been talking about how Money Trees can get quite tall. However, they are also used by some as bonsai. In those cases, they can be kept on the smaller side, so don't think you have to have an eight foot behemoth if you're interested in Money Trees.

How to Grow a Tall Money Tree?

As i mentioned earlier, to get the height, you need the right care and environment.

Light

Light is one of the most important factors in growing indoor plants and one of the hardest things to supplement. In the wild, Money Trees grow in swamps in partial shade. Your Money Tree will do best with bright indirect light. Put it near an east or west-facing window if you have one. A south-facing window will have bright light. If that's the only window direction you have, that fine, you may just want to keep your plant a little further from the window. The leaves of a Money Tree can actually get sunburnt if they are too exposed to direct bright light. Adequate sun is fundamental in growing a large Money Tree though. They can survive in lower light, but you won't be growing an eight footer.

Soil/Water

Money Trees don't need specially formulated soil, but they should have well-draining soil. Any potting soil with a little extra perlite or something else to help aid drainage will do. Although I mentioned that Money Trees grow in swamps they don't want to be overly wet as indoor plants. Besides, soggy soil promotes fungus and fungus gnats, and no one wants those. Only water your Money Tree when the first inch or so of soil has dried. My key to keeping tabs on soil moisture is a cheap moisture meter. I use mine basically every day. Just stick it in the soil before you plan to water, it will help you learn how quickly your soil dries, how much water you should be using, and how often you should be watering. Both under and overwatering can hinder growth, or even kill your plant if it goes too far.

Fertilizer

Money Trees actually aren't heavy fertilizer feeders. Try to feed your Money Tree about once a month during the growing season. Don't feed at all during the winter when it's dormant. Overfeeding can actually stunt growth, which can cause people to overfertilize even more. Any balanced all-purpose fertilizer will work for Money Trees. You don't need a special formula, just make sure to follow the directions on the packaging.

What's the biggest Money Tree you have ever seen indoors? Share in the comments. I once saw one in a yoga studio that put mine to shame. It was well over eight feet tall and had a giant trunk.