Begonia,  Plant Care,  Propagation,  Rare Houseplants

Begonia Maculata

Welcome to our guide to begonia maculata care. In general a begonia maculata needs bright indirect sunlight, likes normal household temperatures, well draining soil, lots of humidity, and careful watering to keep them wet buy not soaked. They also like to be root bound.


Begonia Maculata Care Summary

Light needs:Plenty of indirect sunlight, is ideal, but they’ll tolerate medium light areas too.
Watering needs:Keep them moist. Check the soil twice a week and water it if the top layer (an inch or so) is dry.
Fertilizer:Balanced fertilizer once a month in spring and summer.
Soil:Well-draining potting compost with plenty of organic matter and added perlite for drainage.
Humidity:50%.
Temperature:18-30°C (64-86°F).
Where to buy:Try our list of the best rare plant shops.
Other names:Polka Dot Begonia, Spotted Begonia.
Common issues:Leaves dropping due to underwatering. 

Begonia Maculata Care Introduction

Welcome to our guide to the begonia maculata aka the polka dot begonia, a beautifully-leaved house plant. They are really popular, but need a little bit of attention to get the best out of them.

See also: Begonia Escargot, Care For Begonia Rex.

Tip: we recommend Etsy for buying plants. Look for the best rated seller you can, and try to buy as close to your home as possible so the plant does not travel too far.

A note about affiliate links: when you buy a plant, pots, soil, or other goods through links on this article we sometimes earn a commission. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it really helps us out if you do use them. Thanks a lot! An example of this is if you buy a plant on Etsy using this link. Read our privacy policy for more information. Thanks again.

Light Needs

Your begonia will grow best with a lot of indirect sunlight although will be ok in medium light areas of your home. Be sure to not let it burn in direct sunlight.

How Often to Water

Keep them moist. Check the soil twice a week and water it if the top layer (an inch or so) is dry.

You should water your begonia once a week if the top later (an inch) is dry. It is the most important part of it’s care – keep it moist but not overwatered!

Fertilizer

Feed your plant a balanced fertilizer once a month in the warmer months of spring and summer.

Soil

Begonias can get root rot easily so use a well-draining potting compost with plenty of organic matter and added perlite for drainage.

When To Repot

Begonias are comfortable when pot bound, and in fact they prefer it, o you can leave them be for quite a while. But if they have really, really crowded roots then pot it up one size in spring.

Humidity

Begonias love 50% humidity, or they can get crispy leaves from drying out.

For more on begonias see our begonia category with all our care guides.

Temperature

Aim for 18-30°C (64-86°F) in the day, 15°C(59°F) at night. Begonia maculatas like a few degrees around 20ºC (68ºF). So they will do well in household temperatures.

How To Propagate A Begonia Maculata

The easiest way to propagate a begonia maculata with with water propagation. Cut off a cutting and put it in a jar of water to allow it to root before potting it up. Take the cutting and let them callous over for an hour or so so the wound heals. Then put then in a jar of water to root.

I have also had some good results from taking node cuttings and putting them in wet sphagnum moss to root new plants, then potting up to soil after a month or two.

For more info see our Water Propagation article.

Begonia Maculata Vs Wightii

The wightii is a hybrid of the maculata, they are really similar. The wightii can grow to be a much larger lant and has larger polka dots of white on it.

Do Begonia Maculata Flower

They flower with groups of fairly small flowers with white petals and yellow centers.

Begonia Maculata USDA Zone

They can grow outside year round in zones 10-11.

Where To Buy

Support your local plant store where you can, and there is a list of online specialist plants stores in our Rare Plant Shops article.

Other Names for Begonia Maculata

Polka Dot Begonia, Spotted Begonia.

FAQs and Common Problems

Do Begonia Maculata Need Support?

When they get to certain size they can be quite tall and prone to fall over, you can stake them to a bamboo cane to keep them upright.

Do Begonia Maculata Like To Be Root Bound?

The don’t mind being a pit root bound but like most plants will do best if given space for the roots to grow.

Can Begonia Maculata Grow In Water?

Yes you can root a begonia maculata in water and keep it growing there.

Is Begonia Maculata Toxic To Cats?

They are poisonous to cats and dogs if consumed. Seek vets advice if eaten.

Begonia Maculata Vs Angel Wing

The begonia maculata has much bigger dots (hence the name polka dot begonia) and the angel wing has smaller white dots.

Why Is My B. Maculata Dropping Leaves?

A common issue with the maculatas is leaves dropping due to underwatering. Make sure you water the plant regularly. It can also be due to too much sunlight.

Other Articles You Might Like

Hope you found this article on Begonia Maculata helpful. You might also like our articles on Water Propagation, Anthurium Care and Caladium Plant Care.

Please follow us on Instagram for pictures and regular updates.

Comments Off on Begonia Maculata