This lovely Angel Wing Begonia was growing in a one gallon pot when we moved here, more than 30 years ago. It has survived a freeze or two, and lived in deep shade as the ten foot tall and eight foot wide ivy grew over it. I wrote about our $6,000 ivy and old rotted fence removal and new redwood fence project in an earlier post. The fence you see in these photos is our new fence. Now the begonia is liberated and in part sun on our patio. I know it is probably 40 years old and I have never repotted it.
It was shining as it caught the sun which is why I took these photos. The colors of the leaves are more red, a darker red, than these show, and it gets tiny red flowers.The leaves are green on top with spots of light grey, and red on the back, with the red also showing. In many areas with colder winters they are grown as house plants.
Below are photos of the green leaves when they are not illuminated by the sun, and of the red flowers. The plant to the left is an African Basil which in its second year has grown tall.
This type of begonia is sometimes called cane begonia and I read you can make starts by cutting a bit of the cane and putting it in water until it roots. I want to try that. Angel wing begonia is suited to grow outdoors in zones 10-11, but it has grown here in zone 8 for 40 years, with no special pampering. It requires filtered sunlight or the leaves with scorch and do not over water.
