Feng Shui money plants gain popularity in Iraq
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Belief in "money plants" is gaining popularity in Iraq, with many households buying ornamental plants believed to attract wealth, prosperity, and good fortune under the principles of the Chinese Feng Shui philosophy.
Energy enthusiast Abeer Kadhim told Shafaq News that Feng Shui associates luck with various elements, including colors, numbers, coins, accessories, jewelry, and certain types of houseplants.
Supporters of the practice often follow rituals before placing the plants indoors, including cleaning the space, choosing a bright and quiet location, and caring for the plant as a symbol of abundance. Some write down personal goals and place them beside the plant, while others light candles or incense during meditation. Others prefer buying the greenery on Thursdays or at the beginning of the month, believing it marks the start of a new cycle of prosperity.
Hamed Hassan, 44, who owns a plant nursery in Baghdad, told Shafaq News that most of these plants are imported, particularly from China, and typically sell for between 50,000 and 150,000 Iraqi dinars (about $30–115), with some varieties costing even more.
The most sought-after species include the Money Tree (Pachira aquatica), the Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides), known for its coin-shaped leaves, Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), locally called Asa Mousa (Moses' Staff), as well as the Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) associated with growth and prosperity, and the Peace Lily, which is widely regarded as a symbol of purity and abundance. According to Hassan, many buyers believe the number of bamboo stalks carries symbolic meaning, with three representing happiness, five health, and eight wealth. These plants require indirect sunlight, moist soil, and regular leaf cleaning to thrive.
Zahraa Ali, 30, told Shafaq News that Lucky Bamboo was the first plant she bought after moving into her husband's home because of its symbolic meaning. "Ever since I was a child, my family kept this plant in several places around the house," she said, adding that she grew up associating such greenery with prosperity.
