Sharon,

Try 'Benitochiba'. It is a magnificent plant.

I think I lost 3 over the past 4 years - all mail order. I finally bought one locally which was much larger than the mail order plants. I put it in a six inch azalea clay pot with pea gravel mixed in for drainage. Mine has already completely defoilated for the winter out in the garage. I got it through the winter last year by cutting back hard on watering and it responded like a champion this summer.

Butch

Here is a link that might be useful: benitochiba and selph's mahogany

Thank you Butch, it does look exactly like Rex 'Benitochiba'. Now, hopefully I can keep this beauty alive during the winter. I've had other Rex's before and they always die on me!

Again, thanks for your help!
Sharon

B. 'Benitochiba' is a cross between a rex hybrid (B. 'Filigree') and a shrub-like species (B. luxurians). It's not 100% rex, which explains the height and longer petioles. Both rexes and B. luxurians prefer cooler temperatures, so we struggle with them in our Florida summers. B. luxurians is almost impossible to grow here. In Southern California they grow it (luxurians) up to 12 feet tall! I've had some success getting B. 'Benitochiba' through the summers, but it definitely is a challenge to grow. You should have better luck with it in your climate, as long as it doesn't get too cold.

i've heard these same things, too. i picked up a nice pot of 'Benitochiba' last week, probably from the same distributor as you, sharon. (they're canadian)
...i'm hoping i can keep it looking lovely. i know of some people who are using this particular begonia to try and create crosses that are a bit more cold hardy.

-ming

Thanks Ming and Begoniac! So far, so good. It's even showing new growth at the base. My main concern is that by the time it will go outdoors in the spring, it will die from the furnace heat indoors.

Sharon

hi sharon,
if you're worried about it, take a few leaves and start them for contingency plantlets. that's what i do with all the hard to come by begonias i worry about.

good luck!
-ming

{{gwi:428993}}
Begonia 'Benitochiba'

Just an update, so far so good, he's not dying on me! It is sitting right by the south window, lot's of winter sunshine and its cool there since its nearly touching the window. So I guess Ben is happy ;)

Ben the Begonia looks like he's about as happy as a begonia can get. Good growing!