Graham 1828
India
Section Haagea
This plant, grown in England since 1826, was introduced to the USA in 1913 under the wrong name Begonia ‘Mrs W.S. Kimball’. This begonia previously bore the reference U044. It is often confused with Begonia malabarica, which grows in the same habitat: Sri Lanka and the Nilgiri Hills of southern India, on shady, rocky stream banks. The Latin name of this species refers to the number of tepals of the male and female flowers.
Appearance
A little-branched, upright-stemmed plant that can reach 1.50 m in height. The blade is green above, sometimes with white dots when young, pale green (sometimes red) beneath, both sides covered with rough hairs. The flowers, of both sexes on each plant, are white or pink and few in number. The ovary has three locules.
Culture
An easy plant that is well suited to a conservatory. It goes dormant in winter, when watering should stop.
Propagation
Stem cuttings in summer. The plant readily produces seed in cultivation and is easy to grow from seed. It even self-seeds in unexpected places, such as a crack in a bench.
Publication
To find out more, see the original publication in Curtis’s “Botanical Magazine” of 1828 by clicking here.
