Begonia Maculata – The Trout Begonia or Spotted Begonia. A beautiful, upright cane stemmed begonia with large heart shaped leaves that are red underneath, and dark green with silver spots on top. A relatively fast grower and not difficult to keep makes this a great addition to your plant collection at home. Although mainly grown for their splendid foliage they also produce large clusters of white flowers on a single stem.
Summer care: Begonia Maculata likes bright, indirect light, they tolerate lower light conditions but growth will be slower. Avoid direct afternoon sun as the large leaves will burn and dry out.
Water regularly while growing. Keep the compost moist by watering thoroughly, then allow the top of the soil to become touch dry before watering again. Do not allow to sit in water.
Fertilise approximately every 2 weeks from April to August with a half strength diluted liquid houseplant feed. Remove flowers and stems when they have finished to encourage more.
Average room temperatures between 18-22c. Avoid dry air or direct heat sources.
Begonia Maculata like humidity, this is best achieved by placing on a saucer filled with decorative stones. This will increase the moisture in the air around the plant.
Prune occasionally by simply cutting the stems to encourage a fuller, bushier plant. This is best done in Autumn or early Spring before new growth starts.
Begonia Maculata doesn`t require a dormant Winter period. Just be careful with watering, growth will be slow and the time it takes for the top of the compost to dry between watering will be longer.
Repot once a year in Spring.
The plant sap contains irritating calcium oxalate crystals that are present to deter animals from eating. Problematic to children and pets if consumed. Causes irritation and swelling in the mouth. Best practice is to keep out of reach of children and pets.
