Begonia collection | Begonia care | Rex begonia | Cane Begonia | Gorgeous and Rare Begonias

Begonia collection | Begonia care | Rex begonia | Cane Begonia | Gorgeous and Rare Begonias
Begonia is a pantropical genus of flowering plants, found in Asia, the Americas, and Africa. The taxonomy of this genus is very complex and can be confusing even to collectors - it is one of the largest flowering plant genera, with just short of 2,000 different species. There are common horticultural terms used to describe and group these plants - cane Begonia, Rex Begonia, and tuberous Begonia are some example. It’s important to realize that these terms have little overlap with actual Begonia phylogeny or taxonomy - they describe characteristics of individual cultivars, and some cultivars can even be accurately described by multiple different terms.
Cane begonias are tall, often with large, pointed leaves which are shaped vaguely like wings. There are several names for various types of these plants - there are the angel wings, which come from crosses between Begonia aconitifolia and Begonia coccinea - this is one of the most popular of the cane begonias. Dragon wings are a cross between angel wings and wax begonias - they don’t have spots on their leaves, like angel wings do. Finally, there are superba begonias - these are descended from Begonia aconitifolia, Begonia sceptrum , or Begonia leathermaniae and have deeply lobed or indented leaves. Cane begonias like bright indirect light in the summer and can handle some direct light in the winter. They prefer to have the first few inches of media dry out between waterings, especially if they are in a very shady spot, and like to be fertilized in the spring and summer. They will produce a profusion of small, dainty flowers in graceful, dangling inflorescences. When they get too big, they may require staking. You can prune them and root the cuttings in order to promote a more bushy, less gangly habit.
Shrub begonias, at first glance, may appear to be similar to cane begonias - the leaves often have a similar shape, and they are both among the largest types of begonia. However, the overall shape is different - instead of a single, bamboo-like, very tall shoot, you have many smaller, branching stems which form a large shrub shape. Shrub begonias also, as a general rule, do not bloom as prolifically as the cane begonias. Finally, the leaf shapes found among shrub begonias are much more diverse than those of cane begonias - there is a larger variety of texture, color, and shape. Because what ties these begonias together is less a common ancestry and more a common growth habit, it’s impossible to give specific care instructions - it can be pretty variable depending on the specific cultivar.
Begonia rex is a species which is native to northern India and southern China. ‘Rex’ means ‘king’ in Latin, so this species, and the myriad hybrids which it has spawned by being crossed with many other species, are also known as ‘rex begonias’ or ‘king begonias’. These are begonias which are mostly grown for their foliage - the blooms are sometimes small and unimpressive, and many growers will pinch the flowers off so that the plant puts more energy into its leaves. A dizzying array of colors and patterns are sold around the world, and some leaves even grow in an incredibly interesting spiral shape - these are known as nautilus rex begonias or escargot begonias. Rex begonias prefer even heavier shade than other types. They are also a bit more picky about temperature and watering. They like it cooler, from 60 to 75 ideally - though they can tolerate temperatures in the 80s and down to 55 - with higher humidity levels around 50%. You should let the top inch of soil dry between waterings - these like a little more water than other begonias. However, they do NOT respond well to water on the leaves, so do not spray them, as it can cause problems with bacterial and fungal infections.
There are several other types out there, but we haven’t had much experience growing those ones. Some are hardy in cool climates, and can be grown as a perennial! Others have a thick, almost woody-looking stem. Others hang and trail like a vine. It’s an incredibly diverse and interesting genus.

[@1coolgyrl]

very informative. Thank you!

[@flowerforever2109]

Thank you! 😊