All sorts of types and varieties of begonias have captivated flower lovers around the world. These plants originate in the tropics of South America. They have taken root well in the tropical and subtropical zones of Asia and Africa. However, those species that are known to our indoor plant lovers were bred artificially. Most of the hybrids appeared in Belgium. But the name of the flower is not associated with this country.
Features of the plant
The first types of begonia flower became popular in Europe thanks to the activities of the intendant of the French colony Michel Begon. He organized the expedition of Charles Plumier, who studied and collected wild plants that grew in the Antilles. The botanist wrote a work on the plants of America, supplementing it with drawings. He named one of the cultures the quartermaster.
Begonia is an amazing plant. It is divided into many types and varieties. All of them contain two opposite sexes. This means that the male flower needs to be pollinated in order to produce seeds.female. The inflorescence consists of flowers of both sexes. For pollination at home, just use a soft brush.
Rhizome
The main distinguishing feature of these types of begonias is the rhizome. It is developed on the surface of the soil. Its shape may differ depending on the variety:
- long and branching;
- thick and fleshy;
- with short internodes.
The leaves of these plants are unusually beautiful. They are quite large, located on red cuttings. Each leaf is colored green and covered with white hairs. The middle of the sheet is silvery, and the border is reddish or dark green. In some species, the leaves may have silvery inserts, a metallic sheen. But the flowers are usually small, do not attract much attention.
Many species have gone through so many selection changes that they have lost their original appearance. But from this they only became more beautiful, more adapted to living conditions.
Tuber
Types of tuberous begonias have large flowers, the size of which ranges from five to fifteen centimeters. They are often planted in gardens. Plants are unpretentious, do not require much effort in the care. At the same time, they bloom beautifully, starting from early spring and ending with the onset of cold weather.
Shrub
These types of begonias are rarely found outdoors. But on the windowsills they can be seen quite often. All varieties have an articulated stem with dense branching. The leaves are usually green in color and rounded,flowering is profuse. How to care for homemade begonias?
Caring for indoor views
In order for plants to delight with continuous flowering and beautiful leaves, you need to take care of them. Almost all types of begonia require minimal care.
The following guidelines must be followed:
- Water better with soft water at room temperature. From spring to autumn, the ground should remain slightly damp.
- The room should be high humidity. But spraying flowers and leaves with water is not necessary. It is allowed to increase the humidity by placing a bowl of water nearby, and if available, a humidifier.
- The plant is fed from March to September once every seven days. In autumn and winter, this procedure is carried out once every thirty days.
- The plant needs an annual transplant, which is best done in the spring. The new container should be two centimeters wider than the previous one.
- Flowers can stand in a bright place, but without direct sunlight.
If you follow the minimum recommendations, many species will bloom all year round.
Description of popular species
All types of begonias are usually divided into two groups: decorative-deciduous, decorative-flowering. But the work of breeders does not stand still, so there are many hybrids of these plants. These are the ones that are bred at home. What are the most popular types of begonia? The names of many of them are of genuine interest.
Coral
The height of the flower ranges from thirty to ninety centimeters. Inflorescences come in two colors: pink and red-orange. The leaves are silvery above with greenish-olive veins. The underside of the plate is reddish in color. The plant lives for about five years. You can propagate it using cuttings.
Royal
The most favorite type of begonia among flower growers. Photos of plants are beautiful, all this thanks to the unusual foliage. They have a purple color, which is complemented by a white border. In Europe, the first wild plants came in the nineteenth century from Southeast Asia. During this time, breeders have created dozens of varieties of this flower. There is even a variety with dark olive leaves that appear black in the photo. Insanely bewitching effect is given by the leaves of the Escargot variety. The leaves are painted in a green tone, a white spiral passes through it. It seems that it was not nature that did this, but the artist walked over all the leaves with a brush with white.
But this flower is picky. He needs a certain temperature regime - eighteen to twenty-five degrees. He also needs abundant watering, protection from hot sunlight.
Gryphon
This type of begonia, photo prized for its ornamental leaves, is a new royal variety. The plant grows up to forty centimeters in height. Castings are large with unusual colors.
Perennial plant, often planted in winter gardens. It gives contrast to greenplantations. The variety looks great with other types of begonias, especially flowering ones. Griffin is quite hardy to external factors, unpretentious to the quality of the soil and watering. It can be grown indoors or in the garden. He does well in a shaded area.
Rex
View of royal begonia. The plant belongs to the decorative-deciduous group. Its height is only twenty-five centimeters. Rex's flowers are faded and inconspicuous, painted in a pale pink tone. But the leaves amaze with their colors. They are broadly oval and have serrated edges. Their color can be pink, purple, red, silver. The plant needs a shady spot. Humidity should be moderate. You can propagate the flower using cuttings and dividing the bush.
Collar
Many types of begonias at home feel good. The collar variety is no exception. Its stem is creeping, the leaves are light green in color with slight pubescence along the edges. In the lower part of the leaf plate there are veins on which bright red outgrowths develop. They are also on the top of the sheet. There they form a rosette that resembles a collar. Hence the name begonia.
The inflorescence is presented in the form of a loose, charming brush, which consists of many small flowers of a bright pink tone. The flowering period comes in winter.
Metal
Unpretentious plant feels good in various temperature conditions. The name of the flower is associated with a special coating that gives the leaves a metallic tint. It grows up to ninety centimeters. He needs moderate watering, air humidity should be medium. Separately, it should be said about the soil. It should be sour or slightly acidic.
It is not recommended to moisten the flower by spraying the leaves. It is better to pour water into the pan. To give the flower the right beautiful shape, it must be periodically rotated around its own axis. The plant propagates by leaf cuttings, which are enough to be placed in water or wet sand. Roots appear pretty quickly.
Red leaf
The plant belongs to the decorative foliage group. The leaves do not fall to the ground, their shape is oblique. The flower got its name for the color of the lower part of the leaf plate. The plant itself is low, the stem is fleshy and large, pressed to the soil. Pale pink flowers will be more noticeable if you plant a begonia in a hanging flowerpot.
Bauer
The plant is undemanding. Its height is only ten centimeters. It grows quickly, resulting in a beautiful bush. The flower easily tolerates a transplant. Regular moderate watering is required from spring to autumn. Lighting should not be bright, but diffused. Bauer's leaves will turn pale from strong lighting, but many buds will appear. The flowers are white or light pink.
Bauer tolerates temperatures not lower than +16 °С. It propagates quite easily with the help of leafy cuttings. Many flower growers love this type of begonia for its beautiful leaves.
Brindle
The plant belongs to the group of decorative and deciduous. It has erect stems and heart-shaped leaves. The length of each leaf plate reaches seven centimeters. Its color is olive brown. On the edges there is a small green spot. The plant can grow up to thirty centimeters in length. For full development, he needs bright lighting. In this case, direct sunlight should not fall on the flower. Also, do not allow water to fall on the leaves. Water only the ground.
Alfalfa
The flower is famous for its large decorative leaves, which are twenty centimeters long. They have an elongated oval shape, the edges are serrated. The upper side of the leaf plate is dark green with small silver spots. The opposite side of the sheet is painted with a reddish tone. Despite the fact that the plant belongs to the group of decorative leafy begonias, it has rather large flowers. Their diameter is one and a half centimeters. They gather in bright pink inflorescences-brushes. Begonia blooms for a long time and abundantly.
Pendula
A beautiful plant that has abundant flowering. It belongs to the species of evergreen begonias. The flowers are very bright, strewn throughout the bush. Such a begonia will be a decoration for any apartment or office. Reproduction occurs with the help of seeds and stem cuttings.
Yellow
The plant belongs to the tuberous species. It has beautiful leaves and blooms profusely. Depending on colorinflorescences there are several subspecies: pale pink, white, red, yellow with pink edging.
Cleopatra
This type of indoor begonia has long burgundy stems and dark green leaves. The flower can grow up to thirty-five centimeters. It reacts equally badly to excessive watering and dry air. Spraying this species is not worth it. To give the bush a beautiful shape, it must be regularly rotated around its own axis.
Non-stop
Dwarf annual species grows up to twenty centimeters in height. Its terry inflorescences are very large - nine centimeters in diameter. The flowering period is very long. The first flowers appear in early June. The plant pleases with its beauty until late autumn, until frost appears. The leaves are colored green.
This is just some of the many types of begonias. Most of them are easy to take care of at home. How can these hardy flowers be propagated?
Briefly about growing begonias
Some types of begonias live only a few years. Then they lose their compactness and fall apart. To prevent this from happening, you need to regularly update the plants. You can also grow new seedlings to replace them with withering ones.
You can grow some types of flowers from seeds. Their germination rate is very high. The seeds are placed in the ground in February so that the plants get stronger by autumn. Land for sowing should consist of leafy soil, sand, peat. The seeds are lightly rolled into the ground and covered with a film. The air temperature in the room where the containers will be located should be twenty degrees. Watering must be carried out by drip method so that the seeds are not washed off. Sprouts will appear in two to three weeks. They are carefully transplanted into separate containers. In a month they will be ready to land on a permanent place.
Begonia reproduces well with store-bought tubers. For the appearance of roots, the tubers are laid out on a wet cloth. When the roots appear, they are placed in the ground.
A variety such as royal begonia reproduces well by rooting a leaf fragment. To do this, you need to divide the leaf plate into segments and choose the one that has a thick vein. She will give rise. A leaf fragment is planted in loose earth and covered to create a miniature greenhouse. Soon a sprout should appear, which is grown like an ordinary plant. Begonia in a beautiful pot is a great gift for a woman who loves to grow flowers.
