“Begonia” and “succulent” are two words that don’t often appear in the same sentence. Even rarer is the begonia that can actually tolerate succulent culture because, while many begonias are rather fleshy, they tend to inhabit lush, tropical climes. This one seems to be ambidextrous, growing as well in our lush propagation house as in our Desert Collections greenhouse. Not surprisingly, however, the quality of growth varies with conditions, so the grower has some choice in just how xeric the plant appears. We offer rooted cuts of HBG 82729, a plant collected in the mid 1990s by nurseryman Fred Meyer in an open, rocky, hot and sunny habitat of Morro do Chapeu, Bahia, Brazil. $15.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 81 (2), March - April, 2009