Plant Care Guides / Indoor / Advanced Care
The Iron Cross begonia is grown purely for its extraordinary leaves: rough, puckered, lime-green surfaces stamped with a bold, dark brown pattern that looks like a German Iron Cross, which is where the name comes from. It is a compact, clump-forming plant that stays low and wide, and the textured leaves make it a real conversation piece. It is not difficult to keep alive, but keeping it looking its best takes a bit more attention than the average houseplant.
Iron Cross begonias are rhizomatous, meaning they grow from a thick, fleshy rhizome that creeps along the soil surface. This is normal and healthy. Water should never sit on the leaves or the rhizome for long, as this promotes rot and fungal problems. Water from below or around the edges rather than over the top of the plant.
Bright, indirect light. It needs good light for compact growth and strong leaf patterning, but direct sun scorches the textured leaves quickly. A spot with bright ambient light but no direct beams is ideal.
Keep the soil lightly moist but never wet. Water around the edges of the pot, not over the foliage. Let the top centimetre dry between waterings. It likes humidity, but moisture sitting on the leaves causes fungal spotting, so misting directly onto the foliage is not ideal. Instead, stand it on a pebble tray or group it with other plants to raise the ambient humidity.
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength.
Repot only when the rhizome has filled the pot. Use a wide, shallow pot and a light, well-draining mix with plenty of perlite. The rhizome should sit on the surface, not buried.
Ask about availability. We keep a changing range of indoor plants. WhatsApp us to see what is in store, or pop in and we will help you choose.
