Begonia pavonina

Peacock Begonia, Blue Begonia

Known as the Peacock Begonia, Begonia pavonina is native to the cool, shaded hillside forests of Peninsular Malaysia, where it creeps low across the ground in deep forest shade. Its leaves appear an ordinary dark green under normal light but shift to a vivid iridescent blue at certain angles in dim conditions — an effect produced by specialised chloroplast structures called iridoplasts, which scatter short-wavelength light rather than absorb it. It is among the most demanding begonias to keep: very low light is needed to preserve the iridescence, humidity should stay above 60%, and the plant does best with a consistent drop of around 8 °C between day and night temperatures.