Plant species: Begonia melanobullata 

Plant genus: Begonia

Plant family: Begoniaceae

Native plant: Vietnam.

Soil drainage: with high water retention, we recommend a substrate mix composed of organic substrate, perlite, vermiculite, sphagnum moss.

!Attention: It is recommended that the substrate be consistently moist but not excessively so, to avoid root necrosis.

Soil pH: acidic

Fertilizers: Begonias generally do not require constant fertilization since the substrate contains organic matter. It is necessary for the fertilizer to be diluted to avoid root burn.

Air humidity: For the correct development of the plant, a high level of air humidity is necessary, ranging between 70% and 80%.

Green Mirrors recommends keeping the plant in optimal conditions to prevent leaf melting. It can be placed in a terrarium, display case, or under a glass dome to avoid fluctuations in temperature and humidity, but it can also acclimatize to a room with humidity over 65%.

Temperature: 18-30 degrees Celsius

Light: indirect to shaded light

Pot size: 14cm

Plant height including pot: 22cm

Begonia melanobullata is a rare botanical species, classified as endangered in its natural habitat (thanks to tissue culture labs—otherwise, we wouldn't be able to enjoy it around the world). It closely resembles Begonia ferox, with the main difference being that melanobullata develops its hairy outgrowths even in the juvenile stage of the leaf.

Good luck with caring for it! And don't forget to give us updates about your plant, using the hashtag #greenmirrors and tag @green.mirrors in your Instagram posts! We promise to share them in our stories

Tags: Begonia, Begonia melanobullata, rare plants, unusual plants, decorative foliage plants, purifying plants, indoor decorative plants