Begonia - Bégonia

Begonia is among the largest genera of flowering plants with 2002 species and innumerable cultivated hybrids and cultivars, due to the easiness of hybridization between species even when they originate from different countries, with peculiar coloured asymmetrical foliage. Begonia is endemic to moist tropical and subtropical climates. Begonias are terrestrial, sometimes epiphytic, species that prosper in shade. They grow are forest understory plants and under shrubs in their natural habitat. Begonias are commonly grown indoors as ornamental houseplants and greenhouse plants. Of the most cultivated, tuberous begonias grow copious amounts of striking flowers while rhizomatous begonias produce distinct, spectacular variegated leaves, cane begonias produced tough bamboo like canes, shrub, fibrous rooted wax semperflorens begonias, rex, scandent trailing, and thick stemmed begonias. Begonia is propagated by root division and leaf and stem cuttings.