Many people over the years have quoted Oscar Wilde’s famous aphorism characterizing marriage as “the triumph of hope over experience.” My husband, David, and I defied Oscar Wilde and hope always won out. The same cannot be said of my experiences with fancy leaf begonias, which have been bitter.
A few years ago, I wrote about the newish fancy leaf begonias bred to be used outdoors as stars of the shade garden. I haven’t yet grown them that way. Maybe if I did so, I could improve my dismal track record. Instead, I have always raised them indoors and the results have been decline and death. Now my daughter has bought a new one. It is gorgeous, with its swirl of silver and bronzy purple leaves. The total effect looks like rich damask. Since every plant that my daughter buys ends up in my sphere of responsibility, I fear that its glory days will soon by in the past.
Still, I owe it a good effort, so I will go back over the cultural requirements to see where I may have failed and how I can amend my sorry horticultural ways.
If you are going to form a lasting relationship with a houseplant, it’s a good idea to know something about it. “Rex”, “fancy leaf” and “painted leaf” are only aliases for a plant whose real name is Begonia x rex cultorum. All rexes, as they are known to their friends and admirers, are descended from Begonia rex, a species native to the Assam state in northeast India. Assam is well known for tea and silk, but if Begonia rex is an indication, Assam should also be known as a cradle of beautiful plants.
According to the invaluable Hortus Third, species rexes feature leaves that are
“ ovate, waxy-margined, wrinkled, rich metallic-green with 1 inch-wide zone of silvery-gray above, reddish underneath…” Over the course of many decades, Begonia rex has been crossed with a host of other species, with the objective of creating relatively compact plants with beautifully colored and patterned leaves. All that breeding has produced some spectacular specimens, like ‘Tie Dye’, a flashy piece of work with pointy-edged, silvery green leaves swirled in red and curled like snail shells. ‘Tie Dye’ also produces flowers, but I am not sure anyone notices.
“Rex” of course, means “king” and like many kings, these flamboyant begonias need to be cosseted indoors. I am not the best plant cosseter, so this may account for my history of begonia failure.
To start with, rexes like high humidity and very bright, indirect light. If I want a better rex result, I should situate the pot on a bed of pebbles and water that is replenished regularly and mist it often. It is ironic that a plant that prefers to be surrounded by moisture-laden air should also thrive best when only watered when the top of the soil seems dry to the touch, Rexes are susceptible to rot, so in addition to sparing the superfluous water, I should also repot the newcomer in potting medium leavened with sand, fine gravel or some other drainage-promoting material.
Like me, the rex begonia becomes sluggish in the winter and may even enter dormancy, dropping most or all of its leaves. This is the point at which many people consign their rexes to the compost pile in favor of some lovely, insouciant African violet. If you resist that urge, however, refrain from fertilizing and water sparingly until spring, the begonia may surprise you and begin new growth. When this happy event occurs, water a little more regularly and start fertilizing every two weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted to one quarter strength. Pinching the tips of young shoots will result in a fuller plant.
Despite the fussiness, rexes have a large following because they are foliage superstars. ‘Ring of Fire’ features silvery green leaves and darker green veins accented with red leaf edges and blotches. ‘Black Beauty’ boasts leaves of such an intense purple that they are almost black, ringed by a splotchy cream border. Ruffled edges complete the picture. Another “black”-leafed variety, the delectable-sounding ‘Boston Cherries ‘n Chocolate’ sports the same dark leaves accented with pink and white spots. The beauty of rexes is that if you fall in love with them they are not terribly expensive.
I am committed to trying again with this newest rex in the hopes that knowledge will augment hope and eventually triumph over experience. If you want to jump into the rex begonia pool, try Taylor Greenhouses, 9228 Mathews Rd., Portland NY 14769, www.taylorgreenhouses.com. Logees is also a good source. Find them at 141 North Street, Danielson, CT 06239, (888) 330-8038, www.logees.com. Free print catalog.