Next year’s ‘it’ plant is going to make your place look so rich

Fiddle leaf fig? Sorry. The Money Tree is poised to take over in 2020, according to Bloomscape’s Plant Mom, Joyce Mast. “Many people believe that Money Trees signal good luck and good fortune to come. In fact, it is a popular plant in Feng Shui as it’s believed to create positive energy in a space,” she says. I don’t know about you, but after this year I am highly ready for some energy that isn’t “deeply chaotic” or “gloomy” or “perpetual malaise.” Plus, they’re nice to look at with their braided trunks and vibrant, green leaves.

The Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) is native to Central and South America. In its natural habitat it can grow up to 60 feet tall—but the ones you bring home are usually about 1 to 8 feet tall. “The Money Tree is actually multiple trees painstakingly braided together during growth,” Mast says.

“Along with its status as a luck-magnet, money tree plants are incredibly easy to care for. They only require indirect light and infrequent watering, making it an easy plant for beginners,” says Mast. Money Trees like medium to bright indirect light and humidity. And never feed them after midnight. (Jk.) According to Mast, you also want to turn it every time you water it to make sure that it grows evenly. It also prefers “deep but infrequent” watering, which means that you want to water it until water drips from the bottom, and wait until the top 2 to 4 inches of soil dry out before you water it again. The most common mistake new plant parents make is overwatering, says Mast.

Your new Money Tree isn’t really a fan of change, but it will adapt slowly. This means do your best to keep it in the same spot. If you do move it, don’t be alarmed if it loses a few leaves. It’s basically the plant embodiment of this tweet. Maybe play it this plant playlist to calm it down. “The most common placement to promote wealth in your home is the southeast corner,” Mast says. And I’m off to buy eight of these for my apartment.

Whoa—your plants aren’t actually cleaning the air in your home. Here are some air purifiers that will, though.