Wax Begonia

Botanical Name: Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum

Few indoor plants bloom nearly non-stop like wax begonia. It's actually a tender perennial that will grow and flower year-round indoors. Put your begonia in a bright, warm spot and you'll enjoy an ongoing show of colorful, cheerful flowers.

  

Many varieties are available with white and many shades of pink and red flowers.

Newer hybrids are more compact with more -- and bigger -- blooms than we've ever seen.

Round, thick, waxy leaves give this beautiful flowering plant its common name. They're typically dark-green and may be tinged with bronze. Some hybrids have burgundy leaves or are variegated with white.

Caring for Wax Begonia

Keep the soil moist. Allowing it to dry out will leave it susceptible to disease. But you don't want soggy soil, either. Overwatering your begonia will cause leaves to wilt and turn yellow. Cut off any affected leaves as soon as you notice them. They're likely to rot and attract fungus.

Shed some light. Give your begonia plenty of bright light year-round. Plants that don't bloom aren't getting enough sunlight.

Prune your plant. Remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms. Also cut back the foliage occasionally to keep it looking neat.

Raise the humidity. Begonias will suffer in the dry air of a heated home in winter. Keep them away from air vents and drafts. If the relative humidity drops below 50%, place your begonia on a tray of wet pebbles or use a room humidifier.

Wax Begonia Care Tips

Origin: Hybrids

Height: 6-12 in (15-30 cm)

Light: Bright, indirect light. Begonias grow well under fluorescent lights, too. If you move your wax begonia outdoors for the summer, keep it shaded from hot, direct sun.

Water: Keep soil evenly moist all year. Overwatering will cause leaves to turn yellow.

Humidity: Medium to high. Keep pot on a tray of wet pebbles to increase humidity.

Temperature: Cool nights (60°F/16°C) and warm days (65-75°F/18-24°C) will trigger flower buds.

Soil: Any good potting mix

Fertilizer: A steady diet of weak fertilizer will keep begonias happy. Feed monthly with a high-phosphorus (10-20-10) liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Take stem cuttings in spring and root in fresh potting mix. Keep soil lightly moist. Cover the whole container and plant with a plastic bag or cloche to hold in humidity. Wax begonia seeds are tiny and slow to germinate. You can sow seeds in spring, but it can take several months to grow.