Species · genus Begonia · Begoniaceae

Cane Begonia

Begonia maculata Raddi

Also known as: Polka Dot Begonia

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

Brazil Southeast

Reference · B. maculata

Cultivars of B. maculata

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under B. maculata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Begonia maculata is a cane-forming shrub from the humid forests of southeastern Brazil, where it grows as understory shade in warm, moist air. Give it bright indirect light and water when the top inch of mix has dried, letting it approach dryness between waterings; its fibrous roots and fleshy canes rot if left sitting wet. It prefers higher humidity and steady warmth, but avoid soggy soil over generous watering.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–26 °C

Soil mix

Light, airy mix of peat/coir with perlite

Propagation

Stem or leaf cuttings rooted in water or moist mix

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 2-4 weeks in growth

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Reliably sends up clusters of white-pink blooms indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Soluble calcium oxalates — mouth irritation, vomiting; tubers most toxic. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

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Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Cane Begonia yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.