Scientific/Botanical Name:
Genus: Begonia
Specie: B. rex
Variety/Cultivar:
English Name:
Common Name:
Queen Alexander Begonia, Rex Begonia, King Begonia, Painted-leaf
Begonia, Beefsteak geranium
Botanical Family:
Name in Latin: Begoniaceae
Name in English:
The Plant
Origin: Rex Begonias are native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa and North and South America. The original Begonia rex was found in India, but it no longer exists; today's colored foliage varieties are hybrids of this original.
Growth Habit: tender perennials
Flower: medium sized species bears up to 5 flowers, each about 2 inches (5cm) across. The sepals and petals are wine-red flushed with yellow. The lip color ranges from whitish to rose-red.
Blooming Period: Early Spring to Mid Summer
Leaf: medium leaves, evergreen. Begonias are rhizomatous,
spreading into new plants on
thick stems that creep along or just below
the soil surface. Their leaf shapes are usually
broad and asymmetrical with toothy
or lobed margins, and their colors, patterns
and sizes are widely varied. Foliage
colors include combinations of silver,
gray, purple, green, red-brown or bronze.
Usage:
grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . With proper care, these foliage Begonias
can live for years
Care and Handling
Soil: commercial African violet mix
Amount of water: Keep the soil evenly moist and use warm water. Do not let plant stand in water. Soil surface should be dry between watering.
Nutrition: Feed every two weeks spring through fall with a water soluble fertilizer. An alternative is a granular slow release fertilizer if applied annually in the early spring.
Special handling: Likes humidity. Does not like cold weather. Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the growing season gives a bushier plant, good for hanging. Sudden temperature change causes leaves to drop. Begonias with colored
leaves require good light to maintain their coloration.
Low interior light levels may cause the
leaves to become more green. The plant's
maturity also affects its coloration
Special feature/remarks:
Does best in bright indirect sunlight coming from the South/East/West. The genus is named for
Michel Bégon (1638-1710), the governor of
Haiti, who introduced the plant to Great Britain