Wax begonia is a common herbaceous plant

Alternative names of wax begonia

clam-meat begonia, glass begonia, glass emerald, four-season begonia, melon-seed begonia, rose begonia, saxifrage begonia

Morphological characteristics of wax begonia

Wax begonia is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant with erect, slightly succulent stems, 25 cm to 40 cm tall, and well-developed fibrous roots; leaves are ovate to broadly ovate, with oblique bases, green or purplish red; monoecious with unisexual flowers, cymes axillary, flower colors include red, pink and white, single or double, with very many cultivars.

Growth habits of wax begonia

Wax begonia likes sunlight, is slightly shade-tolerant, rather afraid of cold, prefers warm, slightly shady and humid environments and moist soil, but fears heat and waterlogging; in summer, pay attention to shading, ventilation and drainage. Wax begonia is very sensitive to sunlight, so in summer the lighting duration should be adjusted, a suitable growing environment created and shading measures carried out. Plants grown indoors should be placed in a spot with ample diffused light and good air circulation, and windows should be opened at night for ventilation.

Cultivars of wax begonia

The leaves of wax begonia can be divided into two major types: one turns red-green after receiving sunlight, and the other is copper-red. Flower colors include red, peach, white, bicolor and so on. Flower forms are also divided into double and single. Double-flowered cultivars are not easy to seed, and are mostly propagated vegetatively by cuttings; commercially sold cultivars are almost all hybrid F1 cultivars, which are vigorous in nature.

Common cultivars include: Olympia series, Hi-Fi series, Lolita series, copper-leaf series, Ambassador series, Aoyun, Dance series, Faxin, Pink Organ, Vodka, etc.

Application value of wax begonia

Wax begonia is used very widely internationally; besides potted ornamental use, it is also a material for flower beds, hanging baskets, planting troughs, window boxes and indoor arrangements. The quantity and quality of its use have developed rapidly. In the United States, besides potted ornamental use, it is widely used for flower bed appreciation, and many new cultivars with strong adaptability, heat resistance and moisture tolerance have been bred. In Northern European countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, mainly high-quality potted ornamental types are produced and exported to Western European countries. Among them, Denmark's Dæhnfeldt company is famous for producing wax begonia. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and France also have a certain amount of production. In short, wax begonia is still quite popular in the European market. Japan has a certain amount of production, mainly to meet domestic market demand. Seeds are imported from the United States and Denmark.

In traditional production, wax begonia is a perennial greenhouse pot flower. In recent years people have applied it to flower bed arrangements with excellent results. With the emergence of some relatively heat-tolerant cultivars, wax begonia is very likely to become one of the most important flower bed flowers in China, with advantages such as neat plant shape, abundant and dense flowers, easy combination with other flower bed plants, and a long ornamental period, so it is increasingly popular. It is generally cultivated in spring and autumn.

Flower language of wax begonia

Wax begonia is suitable for giving to children, with the flower language: happy and intelligent; it can also be given to adults full of childlike innocence, implying spring in all four seasons and growing younger.