Begonia gardneri

A terrestrial subshrub endemic to Minas Gerais

Begonia gardneri is a Brazilian endemic with confirmed records in Minas Gerais. Brazil’s national flora classifies it as a terrestrial subshrub with branching stems.

Its recorded vegetation types include both campo rupestre and ombrophilous rain forest. Its known habitats range from campo rupestre to humid ombrophilous rain forest.

Light and moisture for textured foliage care

Watering

Water Begonia gardneri once the surface is dry but before the whole fine-rooted root ball loses moisture. Check beneath the branching crown of Begonia gardneri, where the centre of the pot can stay damp after the exposed edges have dried.

Light

A practical home position for Begonia gardneri is close to an east window or a short distance from a bright south or west window with the fiercest rays screened. The branches stretch, the plant opens in the centre and new leaves become smaller.

Temperature

Keep Begonia gardneri in even, frost-free warmth and away from cold draughts while it is in leaf. Cold wet roots are more vulnerable than a dry surface, so move the pot back from icy glass after watering.

Fertilising

Use a dilute balanced foliage feed while Begonia gardneri is branching or replacing leaves. Pause when shoot extension stops rather than feeding a resting root ball.

Repotting

Give Begonia gardneri fresh mix once roots fill the container, the crown becomes unstable, moisture moves unevenly or the substrate has compacted. Set the plant at the same depth and steady the crown with the pot; keep the mix loose around the stems.

Support, pruning, handling and leaf care

Begonia gardneri can become a tall branching shrub indoors. Support each mature leaf of Begonia gardneri with one hand while cleaning it with a barely damp soft cloth.

Begonia gardneri: troubleshooting guide

A bare lower section on the thick stem

An older thick-stemmed Begonia may have a firm bare lower trunk with healthy growth above it. Widely spaced weak new leaves indicate insufficient light; sudden heavy leaf loss may follow cold or a dry root ball. Increase filtered light gradually or prune above a healthy node. Soft or black trunk tissue is decay and must be removed.

Large divided leaves hang down

Feel the mix and the thick stem. Several pliable leaves usually recover after a partly dry root ball is watered and drained. If the whole crown stays limp in wet mix, inspect the roots. One oversized older leaf may simply sit lower than the rest.

Soft tissue at the base of the trunk

Thick tissue can hide serious decay. Stop watering, unpot and cut away brown, water-soaked stem and roots until only firm tissue remains. Root the healthy upper section if necessary. Remove the softened base completely before placing healthy tissue in fresh mix.

Tall plant leans or splits

Large leaves on an upright thick stem can make the crown top-heavy. Stake loosely before moving the plant, or shorten it above a node and root the removed top. A clean, dry split is mechanical damage. A wet, dark or sour-smelling split is rot and must be cut back to firm, healthy tissue.

Stippled or misshapen new leaves

Check the whole divided leaf because one section may have been damaged as it opened. If successive leaves form fewer, smaller or uneven divisions, examine the growing tip and roots even when the thick trunk feels firm. Use magnification to check a dusty-looking surface. Treat only after finding moving mites or clear feeding damage.

Begonia gardneri is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• The roots and rhizomes contain the highest levels of soluble oxalates, and the sap can irritate skin.
• Chewing may cause mouth irritation, drooling, vomiting or stomach pain. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop.

How the name Begonia gardneri came about

Begonia honours Michel Bégon. The epithet gardneri honours the Scottish botanist and plant collector George Gardner.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Begonia in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 1056.

Alphonse Louis Pierre Pyramus de Candolle first described Begonia gardneri in 1859 in Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, series 4, volume 11, page 138.