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Begonia tenuifolia

Begonia tenuifolia
Photo: GIRMANSYAH, DEDEN, CC BY-SA 4.0

Begonia tenuifolia is a tuberous begonia from the seasonally dry tropics of Sumatra, Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands, grown for its variable leaf patterning. The key to growing it is a dry rest period and bright, sheltered conditions.

Family
Begoniaceae (Begonia family)
Grows as
Bulb
Light
Bright indirect, Part shade
Water
Water when the top of the soil is dry during growth, and reduce or stop watering while the tuber rests.
Soil
Free-draining, humus-rich potting mix
Temperature
18–28 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Sumatera to Lesser Sunda Is.
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Begonia tenuifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Begoniaceae, native to Sumatra, Java, and the Lesser Sunda Islands. A tuberous geophyte of the seasonally dry tropics, it has variable leaf patterning and coloration. The leaves of young plants are round, with mature plants having narrow, ovate leaves. Individuals can reach 25 cm (10 in), but some have been observed to flower when only 2 cm (0.8 in) tall. The seeds are dispersed by a splash cup structure.

B. tenuifolia is one of the oldest documented Begonia species, having first been brought from Java by Sir Joseph Banks, described by Daniel Solander, and published in 1791 in Jonas Dryanders "Observations of the Genus Begonia."

Other Begonia plants

Begonia abbottii · Begonia abbreviata · Maple Leaved Begonia · Ruby Begonia · Aconite Leaved Begonia · Begonia acutifolia · Begonia adamsensis · Begonia adpressa · Begonia adscendens · Begonia aequatorialis · Begonia aequilateralis · Begonia aeranthos

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Begonia tenuifolia 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.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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