Begonia Maculata Plant Care

The Begonia Maculata is an evergreen perennial from the tropical South American country Brazil. Its knotted, bamboo-like stems hold a shower of unique foliage. Discovered in 1829 by an Italian taxonomist, it was dubbed with the Latin word "macula," meaning mottled or spotted. This plant is easy to care for but requires specific conditions to thrive.

Begonia Maculata grows best in a space with bright indirect light, where the sun rays are diffused, and can also adapt to spaces with bright direct light, where the sunlight streams inside directly. Avoid placing it in spaces with low light or spaces without natural sunlight.

The Begonia maculata is as easy to care for as it is easy to love, making it an excellent choice for both plant beginners and experts. When you bring Begonia Maculata home for the first time, it will likely go through an adjustment period. This period could result in leaves yellowing or dropping off, but it's no cause for concern. New, more properly adjusted leaves will soon emerge. To help it grow optimally and evenly, occasionally dust the leaves and rotate the pot by a ¼ turn each month. In addition, Begonia Maculata, like many flowering plants, benefits from 'deadheading'. When the blooms start to fade and die off, feel free to remove them. This practice helps the plant concentrate its energy on creating new blooms and maintaining overall health. Remember, regularly removing spent flowers is a normal part of care for plants that bloom.

The Begonia Maculata is a rapid-growing plant when given the right conditions. Though it is known to be a bit fussy regarding its growing conditions, it can add roughly one foot of growth every season. Given the right environment, this plant will reward you with new leaves almost weekly. The Begonia Maculata can grow anywhere between 18-24 inches in height and 4 inches wide. Some plants have been known to reach three feet with proper care. The leaves are quite elongated, reaching up to 6 inches long, cascading down like an umbrella. It takes this plant roughly four years to reach maturity. Once it has reached maturity, it will produce bell-shaped white or red flowers. However, many flowering plants might not bloom when kept indoors. For your Polka Dot Begonia to grow and flourish, it will require learning its preferences with light, watering, temperature, humidity, and more.

Some plants add a pleasing aesthetic to the home and can adapt well to the indoor environment but are unsafe to keep in the house. When considering a houseplant, it's important to know if there is anything toxic about the plant that could harm children or animals if touched or ingested. The Begonia Maculata is moderately toxic to humans and pets if ingested. The most toxic portion of the plant is under the soil, so it's important to keep it away from curious children or pets. Begonias contain soluble calcium oxalates, which have a razor-like texture that can cause damage and pain when ingested. Symptoms of ingesting the plant are hypersalivation and vomiting in cats and dogs. This plant is just as toxic to cats as dogs and should be kept out of reach. Other symptoms include mouth, throat, and GI tract irritation and upset stomach in humans, but Begonia is not listed as toxic to humans on poison control center lists.

Part of plant care is observing how your plant is fairing in its environment, so you can make adjustments if needed. Every houseplant will have different signs or tells when they aren't doing well. Here are a few things to look out for with the Begonia Maculata and how to fix the issue. If you smell an odor from your plant or it has started to wilt at the stems, it could be root rot or a fungal infection due to overwatering. Pull back on the watering cadence and treat the plant with a fungicide. Allow the topsoil to dry out a bit before watering again. Webbing on the underside of the foliage can indicate the plant has become infested with mealybugs like spider mites. Treat the plant with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Be sure you water at the base of the plant and do not wet the foliage. If you see brown spots on your plant's foliage, it could be bacterial leaf spots due to overwatering or too much humidity. Pull back from watering as frequently and monitor the humidity levels in your home. If you are misting the foliage to create humidity, switch over to a humidifier. Treat the leaves with a fungicide soap. If the leaves are browning at the tips, it could be due to under-watering or too much direct light. Move your plant to an area with more diffused sunlight, and check the soil. If the top soil is dry, water the plant thoroughly and check it again in a few days to gauge the frequency of watering this plant needs.