root rot on Money Tree
Quick answer
If your Money Tree has root rot, the most likely cause is: Waterlogged soil prevents root oxygenation, allowing fungal pathogens to thrive and rot the caudex (thick trunk) from the base up. Soft, papery, or squishy bark at the soil line is a critical signal.
Start here:
- 1. Gently unpot and inspect for mushy, black roots or soft trunk base
- 2. Cut away all rotted tissue with sterilized shears
Why Money Tree gets root rot
Pachira aquatica
Waterlogged soil prevents root oxygenation, allowing fungal pathogens to thrive and rot the caudex (thick trunk) from the base up. Soft, papery, or squishy bark at the soil line is a critical signal.
Other documented causes on money tree:
- • Money tree root rot develops from two primary mechanisms: chronic soil saturation creating anaerobic conditions (oxygen deprivation below 2mg/L), and mechanical constriction from nursery bindings/wires around braided trunks. The thick water-storing caudex masks root decline until structural failure. Phytophthora palmivora and Pythium species proliferate in waterlogged, poorly aerated soil, breaking down root tissue and causing vascular collapse.
How to reverse root rot on Money Tree
- 1
Gently unpot and inspect for mushy, black roots or soft trunk base
- 2
Cut away all rotted tissue with sterilized shears
- 3
Repot in fresh, highly porous mix (50% perlite/pumice)
- 4
If the trunk is fully rotted, take healthy stem cuttings to propagate in water or perlite
Keep root rot off this Money Tree
Ensure soil dries to 50% depth between waterings; use breathable terra cotta pots; avoid oversized pots that retain moisture reservoirs.