General: The money tree is native to South Africa, where it grows as a rounded shrub up to 2.5 meters tall. The trunk, shoots and leaves are thick and fleshy as they store water in their plant tissue much like cacti.
Care as Bonsai: Money trees can be made into bonsai very well. They branch well, form a woody trunk as they age, and have beautiful rounded leaves. They also store a lot of water in their branches and leaves, which means they need to be watered less often compared to other indoor bonsai. They should even be kept ehr dry, as a permanently wet substrate will quickly lead to root rot and the death of the plant. Money trees should be kept as bright as possible and can tolerate an outdoor spot in the summer. However, the plants are not frost-hardy and should be wintered frost-free accordingly. In winter, however, the money tree can stand quite warm. Growth is quite lush in well-supplied plants, and you can cut back shoots that are too long or remove excess shoots throughout the growing season. After pruning, money trees can also always be repotted without difficulty.
Variety features: Compared to the species, the variety 'Horn Tree' has lanceolate leaves, some of which take on bizarre shapes. In some cases, they then look like horns or resemble coral.
Note: Salt deposits can occur on all Crassula and Portulacaria species, which appear as white spots on the leaves. Fertiliser salts and lime are excreted by the plant through stomata in the leaves. This is typical of many succulent plants and increases with calcareous water. The deposits are not harmful. If necessary, however, they can be wiped off or rinsed off.
