If you have ever been to a nursery, surely you have seen a little tree like the one in the image, right? It has very curious leaves, with five bright green lobes. But, How do you take care of yourself?
The truth is that it is much easier than it seems. Even though the pachira, which is how it is called, be it tropical, it will give you great satisfaction. If you don't believe me, follow the advice I'm going to give you below, and tell me 🙂.
Our protagonist is known by the scientific name of Pachira aquatica. It belongs to the Bombaceae family, and is native to the marshy areas of Mexico and northern South America. This is an evergreen tree that can reach 20 meters in height, with large palmate leaves of up to 35cm. It blooms throughout the year, which is a real pleasure because it gives off a very pleasant aroma. What's more, its young leaves, flowers and seeds are edible.
Often it is for sale with the stems intertwined, as if it were a single plant. Actually, These are several specimens that you can separate and plant in individual pots.
In cultivation it is a somewhat demanding plant. Being tropical, does not tolerate coldTherefore, it must be protected from low temperatures below 10ºC and from direct sun. It is also very important that the environmental humidity is high, so we must spray its leaves frequently, in summer.
Watering will have to be occasional, as an excess of it could cause the trunk to become soft and its leaves to fall. A) Yes, we will let the substrate dry, which can be the universal for plants, between waterings.
Change your Pachira pot every year during spring. If it grows too much, prune it late winter.
Surely you can enjoy your plant for a long time 😉.