expression, noun
money tree; gold mine; cash cow
Idiomatic expression for a source of steady income or profit, often used in business or personal finance contexts.
この事業はまさに金のなる木だ。
This business is a real cash cow.
彼にとってその特許は金のなる木だった。
That patent was a gold mine for him.
expression, noun
jade plant; money plant
Refers to the succulent plant Crassula ovata, commonly called 'money tree' or 'jade plant' in English. Often given as a gift symbolizing prosperity.
金のなる木は乾燥に強い観葉植物です。
The jade plant is a drought-tolerant houseplant.
新築祝いに金のなる木を贈った。
I gave a jade plant as a housewarming gift.
ドル箱 is a more colloquial term for a lucrative product or performer, often used in entertainment, while 金のなる木 is a broader metaphor for any steady income source.
Literally 'tree that bears money'. The idiomatic sense is a metaphor for a source of wealth. The plant name comes from the belief that it brings financial luck.