Tropicals & Tender Perennials: begonias with spiraled leaves, 1 by hcmcdole

hcmcdole wrote:
If you could increase your humidity around the rexes then you could probably do okay even in the high desert (that is probably harder than it sounds). They can wilt from no water but if their is no or low humidity then the leaves just dry up to the point of damage. If humidity is high then a good drink often revives them with no damage.

Rexes are maligned IMO - they just need their needs met. Their worst problems are mildew in cool weather and indoors (in my basement) and semi-dormancy.

They do wonderful in summer but are a bit fussy indoors in winter. Maybe if I left them indoors year round then problems could be averted but who has time to water indoors and outdoors in summer?