The Money Tree Plant

When I was growing up, I remember my mom must have had a lot of friends because she went to a lot of baby and wedding showers. These were always fun for me, even if I didn’t understand exactly what was going on. There were always other kids for me to play with, and the adults always seemed to be having a blast. One thing in particular that always amazed me was the money tree. This always looked different, but the reason for its existence was always the same. A money tree was made of money, or made to hold money, and this money was for the mom to be or the bride.

The first money tree I remember resembled a small Christmas tree. Instead of bulbs and tinsel, the guests attached money to the branches with rubber bands. Being only five or six years old, I saw this as one of the most amazing things. Imagine, money growing on a tree! I didn’t realize the guests had put the money there, and so I was confused for a while. As hard as I searched, I could not find a money tree growing anywhere. As you can imagine, I really wanted one.

I later learned that the money tree was made, and the money did not grow there. I was disappointed. My mother had a sense of humor however, and she told me there was a money tree out there, but it had coins on it instead of dollars. When I finally saw one of these money trees, I was again disappointed. There were coins on it, but they were only a part of the tree that resembled coins. It really gave me an early outlook on the saying, “Money does not grow on trees.”

Years later, I decided to continue the money tree tradition, and it is always a welcome gift. You can have your guests put as little or as much money on the money tree as they want. There is no pressure, and every little bit helps. It is a great gift for a new mom or a bride to be, and can be done almost any way you wish. Some people don’t like to give money, but it doesn’t have to be the main gift. A money tree can just be something people contribute to if they so choose. A little or a lot, it doesn’t matter; the guest of honor will love it anyway.