Species library β€Ί Begonia β€Ί Begonia bowerae
Begonias Well documented

Begonia bowerae

Eyelash begonia

The eyelash begonia is a small, creeping rhizomatous begonia from the Pacific-slope mountains of Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico. Its small green leaves have dark marks along the edges and bristly hairs, like eyelashes. It was collected in 1948 by a stream in a shaded ravine at about 1200 m. It is one of the toughest begonias in cultivation and does well in bright shade, at moderate humidity and in a free-draining mix that dries slightly between waterings.

At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

The type was collected in a shaded ravine beside a flowing stream in the foothills of the Sierra Madre on Cerro Atravesado, north of Niltepec, Oaxaca. It is a rhizomatous herb of shaded, moist forest spots in a region that is otherwise seasonally dry.

Type collected at about 1220 m (4000 ft). Another cited locality is Cerro de San AndrΓ©s, Oaxaca, at about 800 m. The two measured GBIF records lack elevations, and their hot grid climate suggests they are at lower elevation than the ravine habitat.

Mexico: OaxacaMexico: Chiapas

πŸ”’ Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

βœ“ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
βœ“ Humidity band, and how to hold it
βœ“ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
βœ“ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
βœ“ Substrate and airflow
βœ“ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.