What KIND of Begonia Am I? Need Help Solving this Mystery

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Hi there every1

So I know this is a Begonia *But* what "kind" of Begonia?

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/Bzn9eNmkKGrHqFjUEw5gEfoBMW0mUhKKQ_12.jpg[/img]


How well do You Know Begonias?

[cynthia_h]

Not well enough to I.D. one whose photo doesn't want me to see it...

Too late at night for the begonia photo to show itself?

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

hm it is showing up fine for me Anyone else having trouble seeing it?

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/Bzn9eNmkKGrHqFjUEw5gEfoBMW0mUhKKQ_12.jpg[/img]

[cynthia_h]

It's OK now; wonder what was going on last night?

And sorry; this one I'm not familiar with.

Cynthia

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

ok so I've been told it is a "his majesty" begonia... however I need further clarification because to me it definitely doesn't look like a "his majesty" Begonia.

This is a his majesty begonia full grown.. which looks nothing like the small plant in the picture I posted

[img]https://www.florico.com/images/HisMajesty.JPG[/img]

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

okie dokie ... so tons of views but no one knew what that begonia was so what about this one?

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/P1010675.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/P1010674.jpg[/img]

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Wow these begonias must be the largest mystery on the face of the earth besides the mystery "why are we here?"

Its been viewed almost 200 times and no I.D. for either of the Begonias pictured. I suppose I will have to go elsewhere to solve this one

Perhaps a begonia only forum or something lol

[cynthia_h]

Very few begonias--or plants of any kind, most likely--reflect cobalt blue from their leaves, as do the begonias in your first photograph.

If this is an accurate-color photo, it would be helpful to have that affirmation. If the colors are not accurate, please let the readers know in what way the colors came out inaccurately; the "web + camera" combination can sometimes yield...ah..."interesting" results.

Cynthia

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

They are both photos just taken on a camera. No special coloring added. Do young Begonia perhaps have an inflorescence that could show from a camera flash perhaps? I notice that younger plants tend to show alot of blue in pictures.

[Kisal]

Do they look cobalt blue to your eyes, or is it strictly a camera effect? That's the question, I think. If the blue is a camera-flash effect, then how about posting some pictures taken in daylight, without the flash?

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

hmm good idea I'll give it a go though the plant has grown up quite a bit since the picture was taken by the original owner. Though it is still quite a young plant. Here is the updated photo of the blue begonia without flash. The original owner must have used flash because as you can see in the photo I took of the plant it has absolutely no blue at all. It doesn't even look like the same plant lol

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/P6090119.jpg[/img]



As for the second one? The silver one... I'm thinking Begonia-Looking Glass? perhaps. I don't know if there are other silver begonias that look like the looking glass one.

[microcollie]

Begonias are really tricky to identify with any certainty because their coloration can change dramatically with age, amount of minerals in the soil and water, and amount of light available. I'm not certain that even all begonia growers agree on names. The good thing is that a name is just a name, and most begonias require similar care.

That said, I dug way back in some notes from when I did professional "plant maintenance", and found the following names. "Looking Glass" (I think you may be close with that one) "Silver King", "My Special Angel", and "Lana" I'm going from verbal notes that I took years ago and from memory of what the plants looked like, but one of my clients had a big collection of begonias and a few looked similar to yours.

If all else fails, make up your own name. Can't get much worse than "My Special Angel"

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Thanks Every1 for the information. I'm going to just assume that my silver begonia is indeed "looking glass" as it is what it most resembles.

As for my other begonia... I have no clue still... I guess I'll just say it is His Majesty since I've had some other people call it that before. Though I'm not so sure the google images look much like my plant as His majesty. And if I am corrected in the future sometime then Good! lol At least then I'll know exactly what it is supposed to be called.

I guess I can call it "Angel's Little Devil" or something to that effect Nah!! No need to confuse anyone else any further hehe

[applestar]

Try [url=https://www.logees.com/products.asp?dept=250]Logee's Rex Begonia page[/url], and request a catalog. I haven't received their catalog in a long time, but they used to list many more begonias than what's on the website.

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

Ok so to sum everything up here is the match ups let me know if you agree/disagree.

My Begonia (Which I'm guessing is "Looking Glass" )
[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/P1010675.jpg[/img]

Actual Picture labeled as a "Looking Glass" Begonia
[img]https://www.victoria-dove.com/Pics/Begonias/Angel%20Wing%20Begonia%20Looking%20Glass.jpg[/img]

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Begonia ( Which I am assuming is called "His Majesty"
[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/P6090119.jpg[/img]

Actual Picture Labeled as a "His Majesty" Begonia
[img]https://www.begonia.rochefort.fr/ImHyb/'His%20Majesty'.jpg[/img]

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

I am a bit saddened by the fact that I can type in a supposed begonia name into google image and that it will only show one photo of the said begonia if that. for example... someone is sending me a supposed... BEGONIA ~ Red Knight... well when I search Begonia Red Knight on google... there really isn't a clear picture of what it will look like when it is grown up. All I get for Red Knight is this:

[img]https://southernbotanicalsinc.com/uploads/rex-begonia-red-knight.jpg[/img]

Yet what I am being sent is this:

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Begonia/B3BjhWkKGrHqQOKnUE5T1koT5BMkqbO5Ng_12.jpg[/img]

So what gives? Is it really just me that is bothered by this begonia confusion? Maybe I am just accustomed to being able to research different plant species without any trouble at all when suddenly I can't find out a darn thing for trying about the appearance of certain named begonia. Oh well! Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Please share would love to hear your opinions

[cynthia_h]

1) Hate to say it, but maybe you have become a Begonia Bug....take a look at

https://plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.com/2008/09/auntie-entity-begonia-rex-cultorum-cvv.html

for an example of someone who is (maybe by now was...) a Begonia Bug. The story involves Begonia Rex Cultorum, perhaps (and I emphasize PERHAPS) also referred to as Red Knight but also Scarlet Knight....

Which started out with red leaves which then became white and then became scabrous and purple....

Begonias have their own ideas, being tropical plants that Canadians/Americans try to grow in non-tropical conditions. Begonias react unpredictably--VERY unpredictably, according to this story--in the conditions we can provide in North America, even when their faithful minions cater to their every whim.

2) The Internet is, despite what many believe, *not* the be-all and end-all of plant identification. The situation with which this thread began--cobalt appearances in the leaves--is a perfect example of what camera + Internet can produce. It stymied identification for quite some while, since there seem to be no begonias anywhere in the world with the cobalt coloration which was plain in the original photos. Also, color registration differs from one brand of monitor to another *and* from one combination of operating system + monitor to another.

3) Although The Helpful Gardener forum is liberally festooned, so to speak, with experienced gardeners of almost every possible description, from bonsai enthusiasts to market gardeners to rose fanciers, I don't think anyone on the forum is a professional botanist. Thus we're all amateurs when it comes to plant identification, dependent on other amateurs for our information. And, sometimes, this does mean that an absolute, 100% definitive ID is not possible based on available information.

4) Search criteria: I used Google for this particular search, and the key words "Red Knight Begonia photo." The first hit had four distinct photos of the plant, no two of which were alike. In fact, two had red leaves, one was in a mixed arrangement, and one had white leaves. (Just like the above story experienced.) There were many other photos as well. Try another search using the criteria/key words I used; maybe you'll find photos that are more helpful to you.

5) My response should not be taken as a shutdown of this pursuit or a close-out of this discussion; on the contrary, it is meant as a spur to your *own* continued research and that of other interested parties. Ideas:

--Look around San B'do County for in-person garden clubs with begonia interest groups.
--Tropical plant nurseries will have knowledgeable staff.
--The UC and Cal State systems have Botany, Horticulture, and related departments with students and faculty who may be pursuing studies involving begonias.

*These* will be the people who can look at your plant in person and help you identify it and prepare for whatever it will need in the future: special growing conditions, how to propagate, how to achieve maximum growth; whatever you're looking for this plant to do for you, far beyond the ability of anyone who has tried to help in this thread.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It's like a small itch: it leads to MORE. MORE questions. MORE knowledge. Which generates MORE questions, but on a new, more complex level.

It never ends.

Cool, huh?

Cynthia

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

That article fascinates me. How a plant can change so dramatically just boggles the mind. Its absolutely wonderful and at the same time absolutely frustrating being so unpredictable. That being said I just keep falling for the plants that manage to have a mind of their own. (go figure lol)

Yep I love knowledge... And your right it brings question upon question upon question I think that is why I love this forum. Because with all the people here a lot of those questions of mine have been answered.

There is absolutely no doubt that I will keep digging for more answers. I just felt so perturbed with this specific genre because of its many mysteries. . I think I just like knowing what I am growing, be it a weed.. to a less common species, when someone asks me what it is I am growing I want to be able to answer them without hesitation.

I absolutely appreciate all the information you just gave me, I will definitely put that knowledge to good use. Perhaps by understanding the begonia I will one day be able to distinguish them from one another more easily.

[applestar]

After recommending Logee's in this thread, I browsed their website and requested a catalog. I received the catalog a few days ago -- it's a standard sized catalog now, instead of a slim inside-jacket pocket sized catalog of thumbnail sized photos and unpictured list, with fewer selection but with photo for every item.

I have been reminded the "problem" I had with their catalogs when I got them before: I'm in the habit of diagonally folding the pages with something I want and dog-earing the pages with something I'm interested in. By the time I'm done with their catalog, there are hardly any unfolded pages left!

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

LOL!! I would totally be the same way!! I actually requested their catalog before a couple times now and never received it. Maybe I'm going to have to pay for it or something but what is the point of them offering it for free if they never send it?