Begonia suffruticosa

Begonia suffruticosa is a South African semi-tuberous begonia now usually treated within B. dregei, the maple-leaf or bonsai begonia. It forms a swollen woody caudex and upright, branching stems with small, deeply cut leaves. It is drought-tolerant and grows in coastal forest of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with a cooler, drier winter when it partly rests.

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 small, isolated groups in coastal forest, often on rocky banks and in forest margins, and stores water in its caudex. Wild populations hybridize easily, which has blurred names in this group, including suffruticosa.

Up to about 600 m, per the treatment of B. dregei.

Cape ProvincesKwaZulu-Natal

🔒 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.