It is a fussy begonia for sure. My own observation is it grows well in bright light, summer temps but seems to sit still in winter often regressing to death or close to it. This past winter I literally dribbled water into the pot to keep it a little moist and it did so much better than in past years.

Another note on another big polka dot cane is 'Flamingo Queen'. I have bought this one at least four times to no avail - it looks great when I get it and over time it dwindles away to nothing, including a big one I bought at the convention this year in New Orleans. One of the stems broke off (me or my dog) and I stuck the top into a big pot with old soil (Miracle Gro). The pot it came in looked like great soil - peat based. The original plant looks like it is dead or close to it yet the one in the big pot has grown beyond my wildest expectations for a simple broken top. Is it the size of the pot or the potting mix? I'm inclined to think it is the potting soil.

My old maculata grew great the first year after moving it into a big pot with other begonias.

I had to move all the begonias to smaller pots for winter and I lost the glossy green one at the bottom (Mrs. Hashimoto) and the maculata took a big hit as well. Maybe a bigger pot is the answer after all? This was 9 years ago.

This past winter it looked like this in a much smaller pot.

Hc mcdole, that is one heck of a stunning begonia! I love the others also, especially the white flowered one directly below it, nice !!

Thanks FrozeBudd. The one hanging at the bottom (green leaves and white flowers) is Mrs. Hashimoto (which I lost after a year or two).

Here it is sitting on top after I turned the pot 180

Edit

Weill, the last photo didn't come through - GRRR!

Guess if the photo is kind of greyed out means it hasn't fully uploaded.

'Mrs. Hashimoto; is really such a subtle beauty, thank you for showing!! I'm sorry that the plant had perished, was it somewhat sensitive to grow?

Hc Mcdole, you collection is enviable. Thank you for sharing.

Wow, yes, your collection is certainly outstanding and one to be envious of !! I've always been especially interested in the cane types and many had been offered by specialty Canadian nurseries in years gone by. Though, unfortunately, ever so many places have now gone out of business.

I'm loving your 'Looking Glass', 'NOID', Dimitri' and 'Cracked Ice' and that's fine looking shelving you've made. I hope you're able to spend plenty of time among your beauties to enjoy them!

Thanks FrozeBudd. It is a big job moving everything outside for summer and back indoors for winter. My basement runneth over as I try to organize them into their cubby holes just to keep them alive. I still have about 20 extra large pots to move indoors before Monday (our first freeze). The plants get bigger, new plants come in faster than old ones check out, propagation makes things worse as space is limited, and I am another year older. UGH!

This is from last December

Confetti on left, Hugh McLaughlin on right. Not sure what is in the back.

Amelia blooming, Cowardly Lion (striped rhizo), and it looks like Big Mac (glossy green)

Helen Teupel (purple with silver edges) and some unknown silver curl.

Flirty Girl (a seedling from Ozzie Johnson who is a member of our begonia club)

Jack Black with a cluster of blooms

My Special Angel (polka dot cane), Taconite (large dark green leaves), and U450 or U540 (seems like the tag was mislabeled) is the silver leaf with dark veins.

rexes from Walmart or Lowe's (Exotic Angel nursery)

Proud Mary

various begonias I propagated for fun.

Never tire of seeing your plants, hc. I need to try that dribble water technique on my rex. Thanks.

tj

I started "dribbling" water last winter since the recommendation of a thorough watering after the first inch or two of the soil felt dry was not working out that great (I don't like sticking my finger into hundreds of pots anyway). To my amazement, everything seemed to do much better than previous years including rexes and some finicky canes. If we went away for a week, then I would water everything thoroughly and hope for the best.

Feb 19, 2018

This 12" clay pot of 3 different rexes amazed me the most.

Sylvan Triumph

Sophie Cecile

Velvet of the Night

This is exactly what is happening to my begonia maculata! Same plant, same weird browning around the stem. He drops one or two leaves (new usually) after every watering!!! I don't know what to do!

is.this a wightii?

Yes it is!

Cas Li,

That is not maculata. The leaf edge is too erose - they should be smooth.

maculata looks like this:

Here is East Gate as an example of leaf edges being toothed or wavy.