Malabar chestnut

It is also called ‘Money Tree’ in East Asia. The name is referred to a story of its origin, where a poor man prayed for money, found this ‘odd’ plant, took it home as an omen and made money selling plants grown from its seeds.

It is cultivated for its edible nuts that grow in a very large and woody pod. The nuts are light brown in colour and are said to taste like peanuts. They can be eaten raw or cooked or ground into a flour to make bread. The leaves and flowers are also edible.

It is easily grown in pots and cultured in bonsai form as ‘lucky trees’.