I think Silver Jewel and Gypsy Maiden aren't rexes. I don't know about Lady Alma Crawford.

Gypsy Maiden is, I think, a shrub-like begonia. And Silver Jewel is rhizomatous, I believe. I do have Silver Jewel. It seems to need higher humidity than my other rhizos. I guess low humidity is not a problem in Florida, right? So it should do great for you.

I have 'Silver Jewel' and 'Alma Crawford'. 'Silver Jewel' does need a lot of humidity for me in winter (I have it under plastic cover). I lost my previous one in winter due to lack of humidity. 'Alma Crawford' is a rex and like most rexes drops most if not all leaves in winter. Most rexes respond well to increased humidity so I have this one under a plastic cover, too. It is hanging on - hopefully I will move it outdoors next weekend where it can return to its previous beauty.

Here is either 'Silver Jewel' or imperialis at Palm Hammock Orchid Estates last March.

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Here is 'Alma Crawford' that I bought from PHOE last March.

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I'm still new and confused. I can't figure out the difference between a rex and rhizomatous. What I read about the rex was it was a type of rhizomatous. You understand my confusion?
Ah, I do love the Alma Crawford! Thanks for the pix.
Humidity is something we have plenty of...I'd send you some if I could!

You are absolutely right, rex is a type of rhizomatous. But not all rhizomatous are rexes. There are different types of rhizomatous begonias, and all have different care requirements (say, some like more humidity and some can tolerate less). So if you know that your begonia is a rex, then you know its needs more precisely than you would if you only knew that it is a rhizomatous. That's why rexes are separated into a distinct group. I don't know much about rexes, except that they have more colorful leaves, need more humidity than an average rhizomatous (which is good, given your location), and also to propagate a rex you don't need to use a whole leaf -- you can cut up a leaf into multiple sections, squares for instance, as long as each section has vein going through it.

Here is a link that might be useful: artcle on rex begonias

We have plenty of humidity here as well but we also have winter where we have to bring the plants back indoors and the humidity is quite low when we run the furnaces.

There are so many types of rhizomatous that it is hard to stereotype them. There are some that need lots of humidity and others that prefer a drier air. A lot of my rhizos are now under some kind of humidity cover (tent, dome, glass) and have responded very well. Same goes for most of my rexes. I think a lot of it depends on how they are grown as well. It seems like the one rex I have kept indoors all year has not lost many leaves and doesn't require a humidity cover, but the rest of them were grown outdoors in summer and almost every one of them lost their leaves in a matter of weeks when moved back indoors. A lot of my rhizos (at least the new ones) lost all their leaves as well but are now putting on new ones.

Goegoensis was completely bare a few weeks ago until I covered it. Here it is a month ago.

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Here are some of my rexes (I bought earlier this year) with the humidity dome removed.

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hcmcdole -- we have the same problem here with humidity in the winter. And I think you are right that rhizos are different in terms of humidity -- I also have my 'Silver Jewel' covered for the winter -- once the humidity dropped to 40%, leaves started drying up so fast that I thought the plant would be gone in a week -- then I covered it, and not a single dry edge since then. But in the same low humidity (it dropped to 20% eventually) 'Brown Eyes' and 'Black Fancy' didn't need any covering -- maybe two or three dry tips on 'Brown Eyes' and not a single dry tip on the other one, and both grew like crazy... So yeah, I agree with you.

Oh, and the pictures are beautiful! I really like the Goegoensis, and also the little one hiding in the bottom right corner in the second picture -- very warm colors: bright, but not so much that they scream at you. Beautiful.

Humidity is a two edged sword at times. It can help a plant on the brink of death but it can also cause other problems like mold and sudden explosions of mealy bugs. I like to cover most of my plants but also keep an eye open to potential problems.

My previous 'Silver Jewel' grew like a weed in summer but then I watched it slowly die over last winter. This year my much smaller 'Silver Jewel' is doing pretty good after I recognized it was in decline and covered it ASAP. It now has several new leaves but I think mealies are attacking it now (hard to get to so I'm letting it alone for the time being).

I lost my 'Brown Eyes' last summer. Another lesson learned is to keep the small plants away from the big ones so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. They need as much light, water, and nutrients as the big boys. At least I had learned from a few years back to keep them out of the same pot.

That begonia in the bottom right corner is 'Jabberwocky'. I really like the gaudy colors of rexes though.

Here are some of the same rexes in a big tank before I moved them out.

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Here are some plants I started by leaf cuttings. I use the high dome covers on quite a few of the younger plants.

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hcmcdole -- thanks for the name for 'Jabberwocky'! If I can ask about another one -- what's the name of the one in the top left corner on your cuttings picture? thanks in advance!
(Laura -- sorry for hijacking your thread! :) )

hcmcdole: Wow! Such cool plants/colors!

Here's the way is works around here...they like my conditions or they die and I grow something that does like my conditions! I've grown a few Rhizomatous for over a year and they are happy. I grew them from leaf cuttings. I've gotten a few more plants recently and I will see how that goes.

I have one I am not sure of the name. I've seen it call "dinner plate" or "big green leaf" which pretty much discribes it. That one is growing in the gound. Is THAT a rex? I recently bought a "Rex" so I know that one is a rex.

My begonias stay outside all year. I put them in the shed 2x this winter when the temperature dipped but the shed isn't heated.

I don't know how you have the time and the space to baby your plants! It must be LOVE! hehe

alenka,

The one in the cuttings tray top left corner is chloroneura (hope that is spelled right).

Here is a closer look:

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Laura,

I'm not sure where in FL you are living but it must be nice to grow begonias outdoors year round. If you get the chance, visit PHOE (Palm Hammock Orchid Estates) in Miami. I've been there twice in the last two years and it is a treat.

Here are some I grew outdoors last summer.

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As for time and space, it's something you do for the joy of it. Some people call it OCD, I call it my hobby. I know others that have a lot more but then they've been at it a lot longer than me.

I have 5 wooden shelves (8 foot long, 6 foot high, 2 foot deep) and 8 chrome shelves (6 foot high, 4 foot wide, 18 inches deep) and am running over 60 shoplights.

Here is one of the chrome shelves.

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Well, we all have our own little OCD thing going on. I don't limit mine to one thing. I have collected in the last 18 months almost 30 hoyas! I've started butterfly gardening in more than a passive way. I've grown roses for over 20 years. I guess the roses really got me started. I dabble with bromeliads and banana too.

Ah, I live in Tampa. It's a hard 5 hour drive to Miami. We are talking about going to the Keys for vacation this year but my traveling compainions (husband and step son) probably won't be willing to stop in Miami ;-(

I guess my first OCD were irises. Probably had over 120 different ones and after the thrill was gone moved on to something else. If I lived in a semi-tropical or tropical place, I'd probably be in orchids. I used to have some nice bromeliads but lost most of those one winter when the kerosene heater fizzled out in the oversized shed. Just two banana trees since they are big and awkward to move twice a year.

If you go to the Keys then you will be going pretty close to PHOE. (What's a couple of hours?) Stop on the way home and pick up a load. We went to Key West 5 years ago and went right by PHOE but at least I got some begonias at the Key West Botanical Gardens and some more on another key (Marathon I think?) at a small Mom & Pop nursery. That helped get me going on begonia mania.

Laura, re: "I have one I am not sure of the name. I've seen it call "dinner plate" or "big green leaf" which pretty much discribes it. That one is growing in the gound. Is THAT a rex? "

that sounds like it's probably not a rex, if it's just green -- rexes i've seen all had bold well-defined red, white and/or silver stripes and patterns. I've seen rhizomatous and shrub-like begonias that could be described as "big green dinner plate." But I might be wrong, who knows :)

Must have the name of the rex...next to the last on the top row, right, hcmcdole. Don't think I've ever seen one with such a symmetrical pattern...almost as if it were "drawn" on the leaf. Spectacular!

I feel a new obsession coming on. judy

Hi does any one have the silver jewel that they can spare a little for postage thank you and have a great night bonnie