Maurice

Begonia rex 'escargot'

Rex begonia; King begonia; Painted leaf begonia

• 
  Easy care
• 
  Bright light

• Maurice likes...
  • 
    Light watering

    When the top two inches of soil feel dry, water until the soil feels lightly moist

  • 
    Bright light

    To keep his colourful leaves popping, Maurice prefers bright, indirect light. Avoid harsh direct sunlight as this will damage his leaves

  • 
    Humidity

    He loves humidity, but hates getting his leaves wet. Give him a very gentle spritz with a mister or pop him in a humid environment like a kitchen or bathroom

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Begonia rex 'Escargot'

  Nickname

  Rex begonia; King begonia; Painted leaf begonia

  Plant type

  Indoor

  Plant height (including pot)

  20-30cm

  Pet/baby safe

  Toxic if eaten

  Nursery pot size

  12cm

• About begonia rex

  Begonias have become popular across the world, both as indoor and outdoor plants (the dramatically flowering ones are a British garden staple). This particular variety of begonia has striking silver-blue leaves with a snail-like dark pattern, which gives the name 'escargot'.

  Grown inside, it likes a lot of light and an atmosphere that's not overly dry. Lower humidity can lead to crispy edges on its leaves. It will live fairly contentedly in a semi-shade, but if you can give it lots of indirect light you'll see that foliage at its most spectacular.

  Did you know?

  There are over 1800 known species of begonia