Malvaceae

Guiana-chestnut

Pachira aquatica Aubl.

Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Pachira

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Common names

By language (19)

Arabic: شجرة المال
arz: شجرة المال
Cantonese: 發財樹
Chinese: 馬拉巴栗, 马拉巴栗, 瓜栗, 马拉巴粟
Dutch: Watercacao, Boscacao, Sabanoot, Valse cacao, Wilde cacao
English: Guiana-chestnut, Money tree
Finnish: Kastanjasutipuu, Sutipuu
French: Arbre à monnaie, Châtaignier de Guyane, Châtaignier de Malabar
German: Glückskastanie
Indonesian: Kacang saba
Japanese: カイエンナッツ, パキラ
Javanese: Pachira
Korean: 파키라
Persian: درخت پول
Portuguese: Monguba, Castanha-do-maranhão, Castanheiro de guiana, Mamorana, Munguba
Russian: Пахира водная
Slovenian: Vodna pahira
Spanish: Castaño de Guinea
Thai: ศุภโชค

Synonyms

Bombax aquaticum (Aubl.) K.Schum.
Bombax macrocarpum (Schltdl. & Cham.) K.Schum.
Bombax rigidifolium Ducke
Carolinea grandiflora (Tussac) Spach
Carolinea macrocarpa Schltdl. & Cham.
Carolinea princeps L.f.
Pachira aquatica var. occidentalis Cuatrec.
Pachira aquatica var. surinamensis Decne.
Pachira carolinea Dum.Cours.
Pachira grandiflora Tussac
Pachira longifolia Hook.
Pachira macrocarpa (Schltdl. & Cham.) Walp.
Pachira pustulifera Pittier
Pachira villosula Pittier
Pachira villulosa Pittier
Sophia carolina L.

Flowers

In flower: all year (from 291 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced

Photos

Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: asitkghosh@yahoo.com Thaumaturgist, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: asitkghosh@yahoo.com Thaumaturgist, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Pachira

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.