When you are talking about the indoor decoration plants, Begonia Thelmae comes on top of the magnificent trailing species. Its synonym is Begonia Withlacoochee, and it is a Brazilian native plant that remains evergreen with its dark or bronzy green small leaves. When coming towards the center of the leave, the dark green color blends in the lighter green color. The leaves of the plant have dark green veins, bronzy edges, and red reverse. The excellent feature of the plant is that it continually blooms with small white flowers throughout the year. This low maintenance plant is a crowd favorite and popular for its easy care.
Classification
- Specie: B.thelmae
- Genus: Begonia
- Family: Begoniaceae
About the Genus Begonia
From the most abundant genera of the flowering plant, Begonia is a famous one with more than 1800 species of flowering plants. This genus consists of both outdoor and indoor plants. Some species are outdoor plants, and, in summer, they require bright light for their beautiful petal-less flowers. On the other hand, the indoor species are mainly ornamental plants which prefer cold temperature. The majority of these plants are unisexual with female and male plant species. They give a variety of beautiful flowers. Colors of the flowers are white, yellow, pink, or red, with the ovary below of the same color. Prominent features of the genus are their four-colored petals, sepals, and petals together in the three wings and two pairs of different sizes on the ovaries of the bright female flowers.
They are mostly of hybrid origin, present in bewildering arrays of structures. Almost all varieties are from one of the following three broad groups: tuberous-rooted, fibrous-rooted or rhizomatous. Fibrous-rooted begonias further consist of the bedding or wax. The summer bedding plants are of so-called cane stem types, characterized by their hairy begonias, talk stems, which have felt like leaves. Some of the most popular plants of this specie are Begonia Amphioxus, Begonia Ferox, and Begonia Prismatocarpa.
Origin And Distribution
These plants are of Brazil origin, even found in Mexico. In the 14th century, the Chinese used them and made them famous. These are native to subtropical and humid tropical climates, and these present in South Asia, Africa, and America.
Begonia Thelmae Features
Foliage and Stem
Leaves of this plant are much smaller as compared to the other plants of its genus. The average width of leave is one-inch, and the average length is two inches. Their stem is creepy and dainty, giving this plant an exotic and tropical look.
Flowers
The plant has flowers of an inch in size; the color of the flowers is pinkish-white to showy white. The evergreen Begonia plants blossom in all four seasons. Moreover, a branch can bear flowers multiple times.
Evergreen
The plant is evergreen as they keep growing throughout the year. No matter what season it is, the plant remains healthy and green, which makes it on top of the list in demand by houseplant lovers throughout the globe.
Height
On the average height of the plant is almost 2 to 12 inches if kept under the right conditions and care.
Growth Rate
Under proper care, Begonia Thelmae is a vigorously growing plant. However, many factors can affect the growing frequency of the plant, including the humidity, light, soil type, and weather. So, take care to keep the plant under observation and fulfill the requirements accordingly.
Growing Habit
They have both epiphytic and terrestrial growth habit.
The structure of the plant can be climbing or cascading upon the way you have planted it. They are best for indoor decorations. To make the epiphytic plant climber, all you have to do is to add support in the pot. The extraordinary hanging baskets if the plants are famous because of its natural growing pattern, which is growing mildly in downwards direction.
Growth Zone
- Standard USDA growth zone: 10 to 11.
- USDA Zone 10b: till 1.7°C.
- USDA zone 11: Above 4.5°C.
Humidity Tolerance
When we talk about moisture in the air, the plant has a mild tolerance to it. Make sure the plants get enough humidity to stay healthy and hydrated, but not too much that makes it to rot.
Temperature Tolerance
The plant is not fond of severe changes in temperature, and unusually cold climates. Thus, make sure to shift them in a more suitable spot when the environment gets chilly.
Drought Resistance
The Begonia Thelmae plant cannot do well without water, so you should not keep it thirsty for a long time. A dehydrated plant will look dry, dull, and very ill.
Toxicity
The plant is not toxic for human beings, but they are toxic for your animals like cats and dogs. So keep your plant out of reach of pets.
Pest Resistance
Caterpillars and earwigs make small and rounded holes in leaves of the plant. You can see the damage in both day and night rather than only in the morning. Make sure to keep your plant clean and wipe it with alcohol or Neem oil every once in a while.
Maintenance
The plant requires low-maintenance in terms of care and moderate environmental needs. This is one of the significant reasons why enthusiasts of houseplants are in love with this particular specie.
Air Purification
Despite being best as a decorative plant, the plant can purify the air, which proves it best for indoor placements and your living room.
Begonia Thelmae Care and Requirements
To grow this plant at home, give it bright, indirect sunlight and a well-drained substrate to grow in. Keep it well-hydrated and adjust the watering routine according to the season and climate. Similarly, keep it in moderate temperatures and humidity for healthy, green growth.
Sunlight Requirements
The plant requires partial to bright, indirect light. The best place for the Begonia Thelmae plant is a north-facing window. Once the flowering begins, ample light is necessary for the plant. The specie does excellent in the artificial source of light as well. The source of light should be at least twenty to forty centimeters above the plant body.
Substrate and Soil Requirements
The plant requires a suitable, well-draining substrate. It lodges well in traditional soil. An ordinary house plant mix and a regular peat mix show good results. The ground to grow these plants should be mildly acidic to neutral, meaning that the pH of the substrate should be in between of 6.1to 7.5.
Water Requirements
The plant requires an average of the right amount of hydration. In summer you can water the plant thrice a week and once a week in winter.
Humidity Requirements
Begonias grow well in a humid atmosphere. For the day time, the optimal range of humidity should in between 60-80%. On the other side, for the night-time, 80-100% humidity is best.
Occasionally you can mist the plant. However, never over-wet the plant, as it may cause different issues to plant like rotting or fungus.
Temperature
The optimum plant range of temperature is around 20°C during the day time and approximately 15°C during the night time. Temperature above 30°C is above the bearable range of the plant and can make it look unwell.
Fertilizer
Begonias enjoy fertilizing regularly. A proper frequency is twice to thrice a month. Fertilizer shows excellent effects on the health of this plant as it blooms all the year. You can use various fertilizers of your choice. An ordinary fertilizer of the NPK brand can do the work. Just be sure to not using low-quality or cheap plant food as that is consists of cheap slats that will silently kill your plant.
Mulching and Grooming
Always remove the un-well or dead foliage from the plant and clean the healthy ones. Grooming of the plant makes it look more youthful and also stimulate new growth. You can even follow the recommendations of the plant-growers.
Pruning
Cut the large or dead leaves and branches of a plant. Experts suggest, pruning once enhances the health of the plant, and it maintains the appearance of the plant.
Repotting Requirements
Spring is the ideal season to repot a Begonia plant. The plant gives the best results on repotting once in two years. Some common indications of repotting are:
- A broken container or pot.
- Roots are escaping from the drainage holes of the pot.
- Roots are spreading around the soil’s surface in a circular motion.
- Leaves are looking dry or dull even after proper watering of the plant.
Begonia Thelmae Propagation
It is easy to propagate this species. Seeds and stem cutting can do propagation. To get the seeds, let the seed-heads become completely dry. Now remove them from the plant and separate all the seeds. Sow them in vented containers in winter. Anyhow, seed propagation is quite lengthy and time taking process. So, stem cutting is a standard method for multiplication.
Critical steps for getting baby-sized plants from stem cutting are as follows:
- With a sharp knife, snip a few healthy leaves from a well-grown adult, Begonia. Take care to leave one inch or half an inch of the petiole attached to the leaf.
- If you need a large number of the plants, turn the leaves upside down. Then by a sharp razor, slice the leaves into wedges. Take care to leave the vein in every part of the leaf.
- Then stick the wedges or the leaves in the substrate. Your substrate should be a sterile potting, well-draining mix. Vermiculite, peat moss, and perlite mixed in equal amounts prove to be an excellent medium for growth.
- Cover your tray with a plastic sheet, put the pot in a warm area with sufficient indirect light. Moderately mist the soil. Be sure not to wet the plate as water staying on the growing plants invite fungus and rot.
Water Propagation
Thelmae plants can also get propagated in water.
- Take some water in an empty baby food jar or a glass—dip 2 to 3 leaves attached with their branches, which joins them to stem in the water. Keep the leaves and at least one inch of the petiole above the surface of the water. Keep the jar in a well-lit and warm area.
- Roots develop in three to four weeks.
Timeline
Day 1: Use a plastic sheet to cover the pot and place in ample indirect light and slightly warm environment.
Day 3 to Day 20: If you have planted the leaves or stem in soil, keep the soil moist according to the environment. However, in the case of water, on this step, the cutting does not require further care.
Day 20 to Day 50: By about 21st-day roots formation, get started. Keep the baby plants under your observation. According to the requirements, keep misting the soil.
Day 50: For water propagation, transfer the tiny plantlets from water to the container or in the garden soil.
Day 50 to Day 90: Keep misting thrice a week. Roots and shoots will start developing by now.
Day 90 to Day 170: The height and strength of the plant should be enhancing. Water the plant on a frequency of two to three times a week. Do this according to the condition and requirements of the soil.
Day 170 to Day 190: The plant does not need extra attention now. Just take care of the basic requirements of water, temperature, and light. At this stage, you can add a mild quantity of some fertilizer every month. Avoid high amounts of the manure as it may destroy the young plants. New Begonia plants are ready for you. It is better to check the plants once or two times a month.
Using and Displaying a Begonia Thelmae Plant
The plant looks too beautiful when displayed in lounges, corridors, halls, and corners of the rooms because of their foliage and size. They add quite a tropical vibe to your area without creating a lot of mess and seeking much of your attention and time. Anyhow, when you are displaying them, be sure they are out of reach to your children and pets because they can be very toxic.
Begonia Thelmae for Sale
If you are looking to buy one of these plants, make sure that the Thelmae is perfectly healthy. Inspect the plant thoroughly and examine the leaves and stem of the plant. Look around and underneath for any signs of bugs, diseases, or infections. If you bring an infected plant home, it will spread to other plants in your collection and infect all of them.
Final Thoughts
Begonia Thelmae is a beautiful, small, speedy growing, evergreen floral plant. It is famous for its small bronzy green leaves with dark green veins and light green centers. Small white flowers bloom on the trailing Begonia throughout the year. It can grow both as an epiphyte and terrestrial plant and requires low maintenance. For your terrariums and living rooms, it is an extraordinary ornamental plant. Because of growing naturally downwards, it makes excellent hanging baskets. Moreover, it purifies the air you breathe. All in all, it is a brilliant indoors, ornamental plant.
