Find the Right Begonia for You

There ’s something for everyone with begonia . The size image runs the gamut from slopped trivial nuggets with midget foliage to big banging plants that stand several foot tall and take up a major chunk of material estate in your elbow room . And everything between those extreme is generously represented . Every leafage anatomy imaginable falls within their repertoire . If you like your leaf furry , matte , glossy , eyelashed , blemish , streaked , colorful , or damp , there is a begonia usable with the traits you covet . No wonder you want to spring up one , but can you pull out it off ?

If you ’ve essay and failed with begonias , do n’t give up hope . It ’s just a thing of matching the right begonia with your space . Like their diverse strong-arm feature , begonia also have the full range of trouble covered . Many begonias are a picnic to maturate , while others are a bear . as luck would have it , compatibility and finickiness are traits that tend to be linked to their classifications . opt a begonia in a sure group , and luck are respectable that you ’ll find out a simpatico roomie .

Rex begoniashave a maturation substance abuse similar to the rhizomatous types , but they usually boast festively colored leaves , with set of crimson , burgundy , and metallic ash gray qualification for a flashy display . Unfortunately , they have a tendency to succumb to powdery mildew and other leafage diseases , especially during winter when their outgrowth slows down . Sometimes those glorious leaves just melt . If you ca n’t dissent their charms , adjudicate giving them a blank with brisk line circulation , and pee sparingly without wet the leaves .

Rhizomatous begoniasare the easiest to host in the medium home , and they are readily uncommitted . Like their name implies , they grow via rhizome that mouse along the land surface and send down root word . They usually remain between 4 inches to 2 feet tall — dimensions that make them suit for the average windowsill . In late wintertime ( when you desperately crave a little entertainment of the natural sort ) , they send up wands of modest prime , but the leaf are really their main consequence . And these leaves are remarkable by anyone ’s standards . Leaf colors unremarkably cross the cream , pig , tan , and inglorious cooking stove , but blush shades are entering the arena . They can be ruffled , spiraled , star - shaped , rounded , pond lily – like , palm - regulate , fingered — you name it , with all textures brood . They in truth are a family group with few physical traits in common — except alike flowers . They love high humidity ( think bathroom or kitchen ) , but they usually stick out drier atmospheres . The main trick consist in potting them correctly in the right container .

Most begonias prefer shallow containers , and this is particularly true of the rhizomatous group . Their root systems grow horizontally rather than plunging down , so they never pass into the lower half of the soil in a deep mickle . With regular watering , that soil stay soggy , creating a situation that begonias detest . In a shallow container , however , the roots slurp up water , the soil dries out between lachrymation , and everyone is well-chosen . Because they tend to be small , rhizomatous and Rex begonia are particularly sore about the “ shallow container only ” publication . By contrast , angel wing and cane begonias are more flexible .

Cane and angel offstage begoniasfeature the estimable of all worlds , with handsome folio accentuate by metallic spots and winglike configuration , plus cluster of blossom that appear intermittently throughout the class . Depending upon the cross , the sizing of the flowers can be meek or expectant , with colors ranging from white through salmon , pinkish , and red . Their sizing spans the gap between a foot to several understructure in height , and their leaves are on canelike stem that make their finest display if cut back back regularly . Like rhizomatous begonias , they can have impressive longevity . If you inherited one of these from your grandmother , the trick to keeping your family heritage gain vigor along lies in regular pruning to promote fresh , supple branches .

Rieger begoniasdirect their energy toward produce sizeable , telling , many - petaled prime during the blah solar day of winter , but their bronze or olive fleeceable foliage is lackluster compare to the other mathematical group of houseplant - worthy begonias . Nonetheless , they are wonderfully trouble - free entertainers indoors . Do n’t take it in person , however , when they slip into a resting period during the summertime months . Their only drawback is a tendency to suffer from powdery mildew , but keeping the foliage dry when watering normally prevent that unsightly stipulation .

Not included in the list of houseplant - worthy begonias are the tuberous type that burst into an awesome flower display in summer but , alas , go all dormant during autumn and winter . Even during summertime , they do n’t really love living in the average habitation . Similarly , wax ( aka “ semperflorens ” ) begonias are not generally maturate indoors . Although they do n’t go dormant in wintertime , they seldom flower on a windowsill . And a wax begonia without heyday is a total nonevent . That said , they serve as parents to some hybrids that produce boisterous blossoms over a longer range , such as ‘ Christmas confect ’ and the Dragon Wing ® serial . But really , if you go with the hundreds and hundreds of mintage and hybrids in the rhizomatous and cane mathematical group , you ’ll have all the multifariousness any normal , well - adjusted nurseryman could peradventure require . Is n’t that enough ?

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Rex begonia

The variety is thrilling.The astounding variety of leaf shapes, colors, and patterns means you will find countless options (pictured: Rex begonia).Photo: Friedrich Strauss/gapphotos.com

Eyelash begonia