Short answer: In Vastu, the best place for a money plant is the south-east of your home or of the room, the zone linked with Venus and fire, where a fast-growing green climber suits the space. Keep it upright in a green pot or a clear glass bottle, away from the north-east.
Which plant is the money plant?
In most Indian homes, the money plant is the golden pothos, the climber with heart-shaped green and yellow leaves that grows happily in a bottle of water. Some nurseries sell the jade plant, a small succulent with thick round leaves, under the name “money tree”. Both are fine to keep. This page is about the pothos, because that is the plant people mean when they ask me about the money plant. For tulsi, balcony plants and the plants I keep out of a home, see my wider guide to Vastu plants for home.
The best direction: south-east
The south-east is the zone of fire, and in the planetary map of Vastu it is linked with Venus, the planet of comfort, beauty and things that bring pleasure into a home. A fresh, fast-growing green plant there is the reason the money plant is placed in this corner. In many homes this corner holds only the stove, the meter and wiring, and a healthy climber brings some life to it.
A wooden or bamboo wind chime also suits the south-east; see wind chime direction by material.
How much that corner matters depends partly on the person. Venus is strong in some charts and troubled in others, so the same plant in the same south-east corner tells a different story for each of them.
If the south-east of the whole house is the kitchen, use the south-east corner of the living room instead; my kitchen Vastu guide covers what that corner should hold. Every room has its own eight directions, and the room you sit in most is often the better choice anyway.
| Place | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| South-east of home or room | Best | Fire zone, linked with Venus |
| North or east | Good | Green growth suits these open sides |
| West | Acceptable | If nothing else works |
| North-east | Avoid | Keep this corner light, for water and prayer |
| South-west | Avoid | A climber here unsettles a zone meant to be heavy and still |
| Bedroom | Avoid | Keep large climbers out of the room you sleep in |
Indoors or on the balcony?
Both work. Indoors, a bottle or small pot in the south-east of the living room is the classic setup, and pothos manages well in bright indirect light. On a balcony, check which direction the balcony itself faces. A balcony on the east, north or south-east side suits the plant. On a hot west-facing balcony in Bangalore summer, the leaves burn quickly, and a scorched money plant does nothing for anyone.
Pot, bottle and colour
A clear glass bottle lets you see the roots and the water, which makes care simple. Change the water once a week and wash the bottle when it clouds. If you use soil, a green, white or blue pot suits the plant well. I avoid a red pot only because the colour fights the soft green of the leaves; it is a matter of taste more than a rule.
Let it climb, not trail
The money plant should grow upwards. Give it a moss stick, a thin rope or a few hooks along the wall so the vine rises. Vines lying on the floor are the one thing traditional advice is firm about: the plant should not touch the ground. Trim yellow or dry leaves the day you see them, and never keep a plant that has dried out. A dead plant in the south-east is worse than an empty corner.
Why it is not a money promise
I want to be honest here. A money plant will not raise your salary or clear a loan. What it does is give the south-east a living, cared-for element, and a home where someone looks after a plant every week is usually a home where other things get looked after too. When people come to me worried about money, I look at the north, the south-east and their birth chart, as I explain on my Vastu for home page. The plant is a small finishing touch, not the answer.
People often ask about a tortoise next; it goes north, not south-east like the money plant, and my tortoise Vastu page explains why.
Common myths
- A stolen cutting brings luck. It does not; buy one or ask for one.
- You must never give a money plant away. Sharing a cutting with a friend is fine.
- More plants mean more money. One healthy plant in the right place is enough.
If you have cats or dogs, keep the pothos out of reach. The leaves can upset a pet that chews them.
Quick checklist
- South-east of the home or of the living room.
- Upright, with support, never trailing on the floor.
- Clean water each week, or a green, white or blue pot with soil.
- Yellow leaves trimmed, dry plants replaced.
- Out of the bedroom and the north-east.
Venus in your chart and the south-east of your home
When money worries bring someone to me, a plant is the last thing I look at. A Vastu reading shows me the north and the south-east of the home. The birth chart shows the 2nd and 11th houses, and which planet runs the current period, and that tells me which zone to start with.
Say you are in a Venus mahadasha and Venus is weak in your chart. The south-east is Venus’s zone, so if that corner holds a dried plant, a broken meter box and piled wiring, I would sort it before touching anything else. A ₹1,499 home session is a good start. If you want the chart and the home read together in one sitting, with remedies timed to your dasha, look at my Astro-Vastu consultation.
If you would like the whole home read, room by room, I do it online or at my Begur studio for ₹1,499 per floor or flat, and your written report arrives within 48 hours. You can book your session here, or read about my Vastu consultations in Bangalore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which direction is best for a money plant as per Vastu?
The south-east of the home or of the living room. It is the fire zone linked with Venus, and a healthy green climber suits it. North and east are good second choices. Avoid the north-east and the south-west.
Can I keep a money plant in the bedroom?
I suggest not. A fast-growing climber suits active rooms better than the room you sleep in, and its care routine is easier where you spend the day. Keep it in the living room, the dining area or on a suitable balcony instead.
Is it better to grow a money plant in water or soil?
Either works. Water in a clear glass bottle is easy to watch; change it weekly. Soil in a green, white or blue pot suits a bigger plant. What matters most is that the plant stays healthy and upright.
Should a money plant be kept inside or outside the house?
Both are fine. Indoors, use the south-east of the living room. Outside, use a balcony facing east, north or south-east, and protect the plant from strong afternoon sun, which scorches the leaves within days in a Bangalore summer.
Does a money plant really bring money?
Not on its own. It adds a living, cared-for element to the south-east of your home. Money questions need a look at the whole layout and, often, the timing in your birth chart.