Spider Mites on Money Tree
Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
Symptoms
- fine webbing between leaflets or at the leaf base
- pale stippling spreading across the broad leaflet surfaces
- a dull, dust-coated look to the foliage
- a slightly gritty texture on the broad leaflet surface, noticeable by touch before webbing is visible to the eye
Causes
Broad leaflet surface area in dry winter air
Money Tree's wide, glossy leaflets present a large surface area for mites to colonize, and the dry air common in centrally heated homes through winter lets a population expand across that surface quickly, even though the plant itself handles average indoor humidity without complaint.
Spread through shared office or lobby plant groupings
Money Tree is a common choice for shared office spaces and lobbies where several plants are grouped together for display, and an infestation on one plant in that grouping routinely spreads to its neighbors before anyone notices, since these spaces are rarely inspected as closely as a home collection.
Water-stressed foliage
Money Tree's tolerance for missed waterings means owners often push the interval further than the plant actually wants, and leaflets running on the dry end of that tolerance range lose turgor pressure — the internal firmness that normally helps foliage resist puncture-feeding damage from the mites' mouthparts.
How to Fix It
- 1
Separate the braided trunk from any nearby plants immediately, especially in an office setting where several plants are often grouped on one windowsill or desk cluster.
- 2
Shower each palmate leaflet cluster under lukewarm running water, spreading the fingers of each leaf apart to reach the base where the leaflets converge — mites and webbing collect in that junction more than on the flat blade surfaces.
- 3
Coat every leaflet, top and underside, with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil, and repeat every 5 to 7 days for at least three rounds since a single treatment misses eggs that hatch afterward.
- 4
Check whether the plant has been kept too dry between waterings, since Money Tree's tolerance for infrequent watering means a mite-stressed plant is often also quietly drought-stressed, and both problems compound each other.
- 5
Wipe the braided trunk itself down as part of the treatment — dust and debris trapped in the braid can shelter mites that a leaf-only rinse misses.
Prevention
- Keep grouped office or desk plants spaced apart rather than clustered against one another
- Wipe the broad leaflets down periodically as routine dust and pest maintenance
- Avoid letting the plant go too long between waterings despite its drought tolerance
Quick Summary
| Plant | Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) |
|---|---|
| Category | Pests |
| Likely causes | Broad leaflet surface area in dry winter air, Spread through shared office or lobby plant groupings, Water-stressed foliage |
| Fix steps | 5 steps — see above |