Incorrectly called all sorts of different names, but the most common species of Begonia called ‘Angel Wing’ that you’ll see commercially available is Begonia Rosea Picta.
They often get incorrectly called ‘Maculata’ which are much rarer, with bigger leaves, bigger spots, and often attract prices in the triple figures upwards for an established plant. It’s likely your beautiful spotted Begonia is the more common Rosea Picta.
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Angel Wing are a real stand-out in the Begonia family with their stunning, almost iridescent, silvery-white spots on deep olive green leaves. At first they seem so delicate with those thin leaves, but Begonia Angel Wing will surprise you with being super easy care once you know what they love. Bonus of sweet little round pink, peach, orange or white flowers too. Keep reading for the full care guide…
Bright, indirect light is ideal but they will tolerate lower light levels better than most. You’ll get better variegation in medium to low light, but faster growth and more flowers in brighter light. Once acclimatised, they also tolerate direct sun, but take it slowly getting them used to a little sunbathing indoors.
Warmth is appreciated by the Angel Wing Begonia. Around 18 to 30 degrees is a good temperature range. They will handle lower temperatures indoors over winter provided the rest of the conditions are ideal.
Angel Wing can be fast growers in the right conditions, and will happily drink everything you give them (within reason), so aim to keep the soil consistently moist in summer, and lightly moist in winter. No wet feet please! When watering, let the pot drain till there are no drips coming out, before returning to the cover pot or saucer. Let the top 5cms or so of soil dry out between watering, just don’t let her get completely dry. They are surprisingly tolerant of dry conditions, but it will stunt growth and lead to dry, brown tips and leaf margins if left dry too long between watering.
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They don’t go dormant over winter, just grow more slowly. The weakly weekly method is recommended to keep up with their nutrient needs (they can be hungry plants!) without risking deficiencies or excess.
Over-watering is much worse than underwatering for the Angel Wing. They will thrive with a bit of humidity, especially in winter (even more so if you have a fireplace or heat pump going, or an HRV / DVS system).
Your choice in potting mix depends on your watering style. If you’re prone to over-watering, go for a more free-draining mix (succulent mix is a popular choice for Angel Wing Begonia). If you’re more of an under-waterer, adding about a quarter indoor potting soil in with three quarters succulent mix will give you a bit more moisture retention. My go-to for mine is the fine-grade Bio Leaf Succulent & Indoor Plant mix. Luckily, Angel Wing tend to be way more forgiving of ‘bad watering’ than many in the Begonia family so don’t get too caught up on potting mix.
Lower light levels bring out more contrast in variegation than brighter light. In medium to low light leaves tend to be darker, making the silvery white spots stand out more.
A typical sign of under-watering. Give your Angel Wing a good drink. Existing brown tips may not recover but new growth should come through happy and healthy and the existing tip damage shouldn’t get worse. You can trim the brown tips off.
The Angel Wing’s stems should be firm. If you notice them drooping down, that’s a sign she’s thirsty. Check that soil and give her a good drink. If you’re confident it’s not water related, a lack of calcium or silicon can also be to blame for weak stems. Check if your fertiliser is one that includes calcium. Also take a look at a silicon supplement like ProTekt.
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There’s only one reason for yellowing leaves. This is why >
Don’t hide in the dark or you’ll let leggy growth, usually a sign of not enough light. If you regularly pinch back you’ll get a fuller, bushier plant also. New stems will grow from where you prune. Plus they’re easy to propagate too so don’t throw out those pruned-off stems!
You should get sweet little white, peach or pink flowers regularly in the warmer months. If yours hasn’t flowered but is putting out new leaves, a shift to a position with brighter light, or a fertiliser boost, may both be needed.
Unfortunately that’s a no. Begonia are toxic to pets, and the Angel Wing is not an exception. It’s rare for it to be serious, but pets could get sick from chomping on your Angel Wing, so best placed out of the reach of pets.
Super easy to propagate. Take a stem cutting (with one or two nodes) and pop in water covering the nodes. You ideally need at least one leaf to get energy to produce new roots. You can prop straight in to soil if it’s a warm time of year but it makes it harder to know when those precious roots have formed enough to pot up.
Pro tip: Plant rooted stem cuttings back in to the mother plant to create a much bushier effect.
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor
This post was last modified on 12/10/2023 01:05
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