How to grow wax begonias? Detailed guide to cultivation methods and precautions

Other names for wax begonia

Suanrou begonia, glass begonia, glass emerald, everblooming begonia, melon-seed begonia, rose begonia, saxifrage begonia

Morphological characteristics of wax begonia

Wax begonia is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant with upright, slightly succulent stems, 25 cm to 40 cm tall, and well-developed fibrous roots; the leaves are ovate to broadly ovate, obliquely attached at the base, green or purplish red; it is monoecious with unisexual flowers, and the cymes are axillary; flower colors include red, pink and white, with single or double petals, and there are many cultivars.

Growth habits of wax begonia

Wax begonia likes sunlight and tolerates slight shade; it is rather afraid of cold and likes warmth, a slightly shady and moist environment and moist soil, but it fears heat and waterlogging, so in summer pay attention to shading, ventilation and drainage. Wax begonia is very sensitive to sunlight, so in summer adjust the light duration properly, create a suitable growing environment and provide shading. For plants grown indoors, place them in a spot with sufficient scattered light and good air circulation, and open the windows at night for ventilation.

Cultivars of wax begonia

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

Common cultivars include: Olympia series, Hi-Fi series, Lolette series, bronze-leaf series, Ambassador series, Olympic, Dance series, Faxin, Pink Melody, 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 often 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, high-quality potted ornamental types are mainly produced and exported to Western European countries. Among them, the Danish company Dæhnfeldt 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 rely on imports from the United States and Denmark.

In traditional production, wax begonia is a perennial greenhouse potted flower. In recent years people have applied it to flower bed arrangements with excellent results. With the appearance 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 a neat plant shape, abundant and dense flowers, easy combination with other flower bed plants, and a long ornamental period, so it is becoming more and more popular. It is generally cultivated in spring and autumn.

Flower language of wax begonia

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