Begonia rex - Rex Begonia

Rex begonias are, on an average, 1-2 ft tall, with a similar width, when fully grown. They have a clumping and rounded growth habit and their leaves grow tightly packed together. One look at the leaves and its easy to see why they are known as the king of the begonia world. The size of the leaves varies, depending on the variety, but average around 6 inches in length, with an average width of 4-5 inches. There are too many different varieties to count, and a multitude of distinguishing leaf shapes and colors. Leaves form from rhizomes, having characteristics like unique veining, ruffling and puckering, with splotching, spotting, streaking or borders ranging in a host of different hues. Colors of the differing types of Rex begonias include mixes of greens, silver, white, reds and pinks, maroon, purple, yellow and orange. Many types have a silvery or metallic sheen over the leaves, adding even more interest. The flowers of a Begonia Rex are very small, pink and not prominent at all, they often pale in comparison to the gorgeous leaves. In the wild, Rex Begonia is found in forests, on rocks and in caves and valleys, at altitudes of 400-1100 m, in NE India, China and Vietnam.