Begonia coccinea

Scarlet begonia

The scarlet begonia is a cane-like begonia from Brazil's Atlantic Forest, with smooth green leaves and hanging clusters of coral-red flowers. It is one of the parent species behind many modern cane begonias, and it is listed as endangered in Espírito Santo. It grows easily in warm, bright shade with a slightly drier, cooler winter.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It grows in the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil, with herbarium specimens concentrated in Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo. No detailed wild habitat notes were found. Like other cane begonias it probably grows in forest understory, edges and gaps with broken light. Introduced plants elsewhere turn up on forest edges, road cuttings and damp walls.

Records span sea level to about 1,320 m, median 784 m (20 records).

Brazil Southeast

🔒 Growing it like that

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

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ 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.