Begonia corallina

A cane-type begonia in section Gaerdtia with coral-red inflorescences, flowers and immature fruit, and heart-shaped capsules. It was long treated as a synonym of Begonia maculata and was reinstated as a distinct species in 2023. In the wild it is known only from four tiny populations in Pedra Branca State Park, Rio de Janeiro, growing on shady rock faces with leaf litter at 100–620 m. It should not be confused with the heirloom hybrid 'Corallina de Lucerna', which is sold under a similar name.

At home, aim for

Day Warm-growingTargets 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 on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

The 2023 re-description, as summarised by Wikipedia, places it in submontane to montane Atlantic Forest, on rock faces with accumulated leaf litter or on the ground in shady places. Each of the four known sites has only one or two mature plants.

100–620 m in Pedra Branca State Park, according to the 2023 study. GBIF records under this name span 7–1,066 m, median 597 m, but these probably include B. maculata and cultivated material.

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.