Perhaps the imperial begonia is known to most lovers of indoor flowers. And they do not just know, but appreciate it for its durability, unpretentiousness and attractive appearance. Imperial begonia feels great at home and is able to decorate any interior. Let's get a little closer acquainted with this tropical beauty.

Houseplant Description

Imperial or royal begonia is a perennial ornamental deciduous plant. It is found in the natural environment in the humid South American tropics, as well as in the forests of Africa and Asia, where several hundred species of this plant can be observed. The first to be described was a priest from France, Plushier, who visited Haiti. The flower got its name in honor of the governor of this island, Michel Begon.

Appearance of the begonia of the imperial:

• height - up to 25-30 cm;
• stems - lying or creeping;
• leaves - emerald green with an olive shade, rough, wide, ovoid, up to 10 cm long, up to 8 cm wide, whole-edge, pointed, pubescent with reddish hairs, with high decorativeness;
• flowers - male and female, almost white with a greenish tint, small, up to 0.5 cm in size, collected in brush inflorescences on a peduncle up to 18–20 cm long;
• seeds - a trihedral box with seeds over female petals;
• flowering - January - March, sometimes again in August.

Did you know? About 30 years ago, in honor of the meeting of the leaders of the two countries - Japan and North Korea - a Japanese breeder bred a begonia with bright scarlet flowers and gave it a name in honor of the son of the DPRK leader - Kimcheniri. Its main feature is that the beginning of flowering falls on February 16 - the birthday of Kim Jong Il.

A number of varieties and forms of the imperial begonia are distinguished, the most famous among them are Iron Cross and Grus an Erfurt. Iron Cross has a considerable height - up to 50 cm and larger leaves (15–18 cm) with brownish stripes along the veins. The leaves of Gruz en Erfurt have a bright green color, turning into a swamp, and wide creamy stripes along the main veins. The type of flowers and flowering time coincide with the main view.

Optimal conditions for growing a house

Imperial begonia is often chosen as a home plant, because its bright and attractive appearance becomes a wonderful decoration of any room.

Location and Lighting

Imperial begonia, like almost all flowers, loves sunlight very much. With its deficit, it develops more slowly, and its foliage loses its brightness. However, care must be taken that the light is scattered and the rays do not fall directly onto the plants, since the open sun, especially at sultry noon, can leave burns on the leaves. Therefore, the best location for begonias is a window sill, located in partial shade with a window facing east or west. In winter, the pot can be rearranged on a window facing south.

Also, when choosing a place, it should be borne in mind that the plant loves spaciousness, so a windowsill tightly filled with flowers is a bad choice for begonia. In such conditions, it becomes “stuffy” for her, and she begins to shed leaves.

Did you know? Begonia became popular in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. And after the war with the French, they began to call the flower “Napoleon’s ear” because of the similarity of the frosted human ear to the lower part of the leaf.

Temperature mode

By its nature, the plant is thermophilic and does not tolerate sharp temperature changes. The most comfortable temperature for the room where begonia grows is + 21 ... + 27 ° С, while in winter it should not fall below + 19 ° С.

Air humidity

Imperial begonia is accustomed to a humid tropical environment, she expects the same conditions indoors. To maintain the required humidity (at least 60%), the flower pot is placed on a tray with expanded clay or pebbles, which are kept moistened.

With all its love of moisture, the flower reacts negatively to water entering the leaves, so it is better not to get carried away by spraying it.

Home Care

Growing begonia at home, it is important to create an enabling environment for it and to take care of regular care.

Top dressing

The flower is planted in a nutrient soil with normal acidity, consisting of a mixture of leaf, humus, sod soil with the addition of a small amount of river sand.

Further, in the warm season, about once a month, it should be fed with complex mineral fertilizers or organic (fermented with cow manure diluted with water in a ratio of 5: 1). Organics stimulate the plant to active growth, and nitrogen positively affects the size and luster of its leaves.

Important! In order not to damage the root system, before applying any fertilizer, the imperial begonia should be properly watered.

Features of watering

Begonia, like other tropical crops, is quite demanding on soil moisture and does not respond well to deficiency or stagnation of water. Drying of the soil leads to wilting of the plant, and excessive moisture can lead to decay of the rhizome, so watering should be moderate and regular.

It should be watered with clean, settled, slightly warm water. In winter, the frequency and quantity of watering should be reduced, since the time from October to February is considered a rest period. The signal for watering should be a well-dried top soil layer in the pot. But spray the flower is not worth it, this can lead to the appearance of brown spots on the leaves.

How to trim and transplant

Imperial begonia is recommended to be replanted every 1-2 years. During this time, she manages to grow well, and the former pot becomes small. And in cramped conditions, begonia grows dull and gradually loses its decorative effect.

The transplant should be carried out in the spring.

Important! Be sure to ensure that begonia does not get close to heating appliances in the cold season, otherwise overdried hot air can cause it to fade and even die.

To do this, you need:

1. Choose a larger pot than the previous one, since the roots of the flower are close to the surface of the earth, the capacity should be wide, but not too deep.
2. The pot is filled with a nutritious soil mixture of neutral acidity.
3. The plant is watered and carefully removed from the old pot with a lump of earth.
4. Begonia is also carefully planted in a new container and watered with warm, settled water.
5. The shoots of the plant are cut with a clean and sharp knife.

Breeding methods

Imperial begonia is able to reproduce in several ways - by cuttings, dividing tubers and using leaves.

Cuttings

Cuttings are the most popular method of propagating a crop. To do this, cut the stem stalk, place it in clean, slightly warm water and wait for the roots to appear. After which the plant can be planted in the soil. If you put the pot in a warm place and cover it with a film, thanks to the greenhouse effect, begonia will develop even faster.

Using leaves

For this method, you should take high-quality healthy leaves of the plant and divide them into triangles with a sharp knife on the glass so that the vein is at the top of the leaf. Next, the resulting pieces are laid out in the prepared soil and pressed firmly into the ground. After that, the container is covered with glass or film.a - a scheme for cutting cuttings from a leaf, b - rooting of a leaf cuttings, c - propagation of broad leaved begonias with a whole leaf; 1 - cuts of veins from the lower side of the leaf, 2 - the formation of young plants in cuts of the veins

Daily leaflets are aired and watered as necessary. Shoots appear after about 4 weeks. After they are strong enough, young plants can be planted in separate pots.

Tuber division

Many lovers of indoor plants prefer this method as the least labor-intensive. To propagate begonias by tubers, the plant is watered and carefully removed from the pot, its root system is divided into several parts and planted in nutritious, friable soil.

Did you know? Begonia is so popular that in indoor conditions you can find about 125 of its species, and we owe the most famous varieties to Belgium. The popularity is also indicated by the fact that the name of this plant in 1920 received an asteroid.

Growing difficulties

Imperial begonia is quite unpretentious, but sometimes it can also suffer from various diseases and pests. The most common disease is powdery mildew, which is manifested by brownish spots with a white coating on the leaves of the plant. If begonia is not treated, then the spots become more and more, and they merge into large areas, occupying almost the entire sheet plate. Typically, the cause of the disease is high temperature and low humidity.

Another typical disease is considered gray rotwhen wet spots with a gray coating appear on the leaves. And over time, the stem and leaves of the plant begin to rot. This disease can begin due to too high humidity or excessive irrigation of the soil.

Also found vascular bacteriosis, which affects the vessels of the flower, and they acquire a black color. While the leaves begin to fade and gradually darken.

Another problem could be leaf nematodewhich the flower infects through the ground. At the same time, its leaves lose their elasticity and dry with the formation of yellow and brown spots.

Begonia can also be attacked by pests - greenhouse aphid, soft scallop, greenhouse thrips, mealybug, greenhouse whitefly. At the first signs of any disease, you should contact the flower shop and purchase the appropriate remedy for the treatment of plants.

If begonia is not satisfied with the conditions of detention, then its leaves will also dry out and fly around, and the trunk will be exposed, so the best prevention of all troubles is proper care and maintaining comfortable conditions in the room where it is located. And then this imperial flower will only delight and give positive emotions even on the most cloudy day.