Rex Begonias – A Mini Plant Profile – DIY Garden Minute

What are Rex Begonias?

Rex Begonias are part of the Rex Cultorum Group of Begonias, also known as the Painted Leaf or Fancy Leafed Begonia.

They are shade-loving plants, and are mainly grown indoors and outdoors for their unique foliage.

This is one of the 7 begonia groups I spoke to you about in the previous podcast episode (Episode 247).

There are numerous hybrids all stemming from the Begoinia rex species and new varieties are being bread all the time with some of the newest begonias being from the “Jurassic Dino” Series by Ball Horticulture.

Rex Begonias – A Mini Plant Profile

Below, you’ll see how to generally care for a Rex Begonia and help you know if you can grow it in your outdoor or indoor garden. 

Rex Begonias:

• Are considered a perennial plant and are hardy to about 50F or 10C. Any cooler than this and growth will stop and the plant will be damaged by any light or hard frosts, so watch your night time temperatures.
• They are primarily grown for their foliage, although they do flower, but their foliage is the main attraction
• Leaf colors and patterns range in size and vary in how light or dark they are 
• They grow from a rhizome or a thickened underground stem, a kind of bulb.
• They can reach anywhere from 12 to 24 inches tall and wide.
• Some have a more mounding or spreading growth habit where others are more upright
• Bloom continuously starting in either the late spring or early summer and keep flowering until the autumn months.
• Grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12. 
• They prefer full to partial shade and don’t like direct sunlight.
• They like finely sized organic, well-draining soil. Peat-based or a peat alternative work great
• And they prefer regular watering and like to have the top soil surface dry out between waterings.
• Rex Begonias are susceptible to mildew and Botrytis. You can prevent either of these diseases and mealy bug infestations by properly watering plants and by keeping dead plant tissues, like leaves and flowers, picked up and the growing area clean.

And that’s your Mini Plant Profile. You can find out more about Rex Begonias, like the Jurassic Dino Series from Ball Horticulture by following the link in this episodes description.

Our Shops/Stores

Also, did you know that we here at Spoken Garden have three different shops where you can get your very own Little Dibby or Dibb XL garden tool? Yep, you can shop not only our Etsy store, but also our Shopify and our Amazon stores!

• Etsy Shop
• Amazon Store
• Shopify Store

We run sales and promotions, so make sure to check any or all of our stores out for deals and savings to get your dibby garden tool. Links for each of these will also be in this episodes description. Happy Gardening!

If you are looking to add begonias to your garden, Eden Brothers carries a great assortment of tuberous begonias, including single and double flower varieties.

Make sure to check them out by following the link in this episodes description and use the coupon code: SPOKENGARDEN at checkout for 15% off your purchase.