Glasshouse plants

Begonia masoniana AGM
Iron cross begonia

Begonia masoniana is a very popular begonia, much used for growing in a greenhouse or conservatory, but particularly as a houseplant.

It was introduced by Maurice Mason in 1952, an enthusiastic collector of tender plants. He found it in the Singapore Botanic Garden, and it is believed to be a native of China’s border with Vietnam.

The RHS gave it an Award of Merit for exhibition as a foliage plant for the cool greenhouse in 1953. The common name for it is iron cross begonia, after the brown pattern of a German medal over the bright green leaf.

The leaves have a wrinkled surface covered with tiny projections terminated by stiff, tiny red hairs. Flowers are small and green-white produced from spring to summer.

A temperate moist climate is preferred and humidity levels should be raised to prevent leaf scorch. Bright but filtered light is ideal and potted plants need a compost that is moderately moist.

Begonia masoniana is one of the rhizomatous begonias, and can be propagated by using a tip section of the rhizome or a leaf with leaf-stalk attached and treated in the same way as Saintpaulia (African violet). It is not one of the begonias that is suitable for propagating from small sections of leaf.

Richard Gilbert

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