Begonia chlorosticta

Spotted Begonia

Moderate careTerrestrialMildly toxic10–40 cm

Native to the rainforests of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, Begonia chlorosticta takes its name from the Greek for 'green-spotted' — its olive-green leaves are dusted with pale spots and threaded with red veins that extend into the stem. It grows on the forest floor as an understory plant, making it well-suited to low or medium indirect light and the steady humidity of a closed terrarium. It comes in two colour forms: the standard green variety and a rarer reddish-brown form, both sharing the same spotted patterning and red-flushed stems.

Build a terrarium with this plant
Spotted Begonia image

Photo by 彭鏡毅 (Peng Jingyi)·CC BY-SA 3.0

Care

Light

Indirect light(preferred)Shade tolerant

Humidity

High (60–80%)(preferred)

Temperature

10°C25°C40°C
18°C – 35°C

Soil

Well draining(preferred)Peat moss

Moisture

Moist(preferred)

Soil pH

6 – 7.5

Appearance

Growth habit

Bushy

Leaf shape

Oval

Leaf texture

Glossy

Distribution

Propagation

Take healthy stem cuttings and root in a moist mix of peat and perlite or sphagnum moss. High humidity is essential during establishment — a closed container or humidity dome is ideal. Note that this species roots more slowly than most begonias, so patience is needed.