Begonia is a huge genus of more than 2,000 mostly tropical and subtropical plants, many grown as houseplants or summer bedding for their colorful flowers. Most need bright shade, warmth and well-drained soil that is kept evenly moist.
Family
Begoniaceae (Begonia family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, and let the top layer dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, peat-based or light potting mix.
Temperature
18–24 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain soluble calcium oxalate crystals that cause mouth and throat irritation, swelling and stomach upset if chewed or swallowed.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
About
Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species, distributed primarily across tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, with Africa considered the center of origin. Some species are commonly grown indoors as ornamental houseplants in cooler climates, or cultivated outside in summertime for their bright colorful flowers, which have petals but no sepals.
How to grow it
The different groups of begonias have different care requirements, but most species come from tropical regions, so they and their hybrids require warm temperatures. Most are forest understory plants and require bright shade; few will tolerate full sun, especially in warmer climates. In general, begonias require a well-drained growing medium that is neither constantly wet nor allowed to dry out completely. Many begonias will grow and flower year-round except for tuberous begonias, which usually have a dormant period. During this dormant period, the tubers can be stored in a cool, dry place. Begonias of the semperflorens group (or wax begonias) are frequently grown as bedding plants outdoors. Wax begonias are very attractive, they adapt well when brought inside the house for overwintering and can live up to 4–5 years.
A recent group of hybrids derived from this group is marketed as "Dragonwing" begonias; they are much larger both in leaf and in flower. Tuberous begonias are frequently used as container plants.
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Begonia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.