What are the characteristics of wax begonia? A complete guide

Other names for wax begonia

Clam-flesh begonia, glass begonia, glass jade, four-season 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. The flower colors include red, pink and white, with single or double petals, and there are very many varieties.

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 humid environment and moist soil, but it 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 time should be adjusted, a suitable growing environment created and shading measures taken. Plants grown indoors should be placed in a spot with ample scattered light and good air circulation, and windows should be opened at night for ventilation.

Varieties of wax begonia

The leaves of wax begonia can be divided into two major 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 varieties are not easy to seed and are mostly propagated vegetatively by cuttings. The varieties sold on the market are almost all hybrid F1 varieties, which are robust in nature.

Common varieties include: Olympia series, Hi-Fi series, Lorelei series, Copper Leaf series, Ambassador series, Olympic, Dance series, Fax, Pink Ballet, Vodka and so on.

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 display, and many new varieties 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, 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 the needs of the domestic market. Seeds are imported 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 emergence of some relatively heat-tolerant varieties, wax begonia is very likely to become one of the most important flower bed plants 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 becoming more and more popular. It is generally cultivated in spring and autumn.

The 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 in all four seasons and ever greater youth.