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Species library › Begonia › Begonia erythrophylla
Begonias Well documented

Begonia erythrophylla

Beefsteak begonia

Begonia × erythrophylla is an old garden hybrid, usually given as B. manicata × B. hydrocotylifolia, grown since the 1840s. It is a creeping rhizomatous begonia with round, glossy leaves that are red underneath, and pink flowers in late winter. It is an easy, forgiving houseplant for bright shade and ordinary room humidity.

Begonia erythrophylla
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Dappled lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It is a hybrid with no wild habitat. Its usual stated parents are Mexican begonias of shaded, mid-elevation forest banks and rocks. Its GBIF records are mostly greenhouse plants, plus a few garden escapes in the tropics.

It is a garden hybrid with no wild elevation.

United States of AmericaCosta RicaCook IslandsGuatemala

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 2.0 licence, unmodified.