I have had a Beefsteak Begonia for years. I inherited it from my mom and recently it hasn't been doing too well so I repotted it and put it in a different location. In the meantime, I purchased a plant online. It was identified as Beefsteak but when I got it I saw it was a Cane not Rhizome, It was labeled "Bessie Buxton Beefsteak." I was not too happy as I felt I was misled but I did some research and found it is a hybrid so I'm glad to have it.
So, then I spotted this one. The seller just knew it as a Begonia and made up a name based on its appearance. I paid way too much for it but it was really interesting looking and I've since discovered it is a Beefsteak - a "Whirlpool" or "Ramshorn," so I was very happy to have discovered a new Beefsteak.
So now I still don't have the Beefsteak I was looking for so being the obsessive person that I am, I bought this one on-line. When I got it I wrote to the seller asking if she sent me the wrong one and she won't answer me. The leaves have marked points and feel fuzzy, not smooth like the Beefsteak.
I was wondering if anyone recognized it and could help me identify it.
This one lost its label on the way home and I can't remember what it was. If I remember correctly, it could have been Begonia nelumbiifolia, but I want to be sure.
I've been a DG subscriber for awhile now but I'm relatively new to this forum. I've not had much success with the Rex Begonias which was discouraging. I'm not sure if it's too dry here or if I just need to be more educated.
Thanks in advance for any looks and advice.
Cindy
Welcome to the crazy world of begonias. Unfortunately there are so many begonias that look alike it would be very difficult to ID your begonias unless they are so unique that it would be hard not to ID them.
I can say that the last one is not nelumbiifolia. It may be something along the line of 'Freddie' based on the new leaf emerging.
The problem is a lot of mislabeling out in the nursery trade and there is no real good picture ID book for begonias (there are thousands of hybrids) leaving the buyer with little options other than:
1) accept the name on blind faith which can lead to problems later on such as you have encountered.
2) confirm the ID and name from reputable sources (some of these may be wrong too - after all they are as human as the seller/trader) Even the experts disagree at times on IDs.
3) don't worry about the name and enjoy the beauty of your plants. I buy first and try to put a name on them later. Some won't buy a plant without a name (but how can they guarantee the name is correct?)
As for rexes in arid regions you may have to resort to growing them indoors or create some kind of mini-oasis (lots of humidity) around your garden. A big fish tank is an excellent environment for a lot of begonias as well as a small one if you want to give that a try.
Hi hcmcdole. You're right, I just need to relax and enjoy my beautiful plants. Good idea about the fish tank. We did install an outdoor koi pond in our front courtyard partly for that same purpose for my more tender succulents....hmmm, I wonder if DH would build one for me indoors ;o)
Thanks so much for your advice and encouragement
Cindy
That last picture I was told was Whirlpool and I love the plant.
Gail, you have a good eye. I remembered only that it was a long name on the missing label, so it has to be the B Erthrophylla. The whirlpool shape is more noticeable on the larger leaf. When I first saw it I thought it might be a Beefsteak which is why I bought it. Thank you so much.
Gee, I got a lucky guess. I could only tell that it looked exactly like mine. The begonia people are going to laugh me off the forum (LOL)
