Begonias are among the most popular house and garden plants, as they delight even people without a real green thumb with their abundance of flowers. A special feature in addition to the tuberous or ice begonias are the special Elatior begonias, which are usually cultivated as houseplants.
Which Elatior begonia varieties are particularly popular?
Popular varieties of Elatior begonias include Begonia x hiemalis Bacchus, Renaissance, Carneval, Alma and Rondo. Ideal as houseplants, they thrive in at least 14 hours of daylight, with shorter days encouraging flower production.
Characteristics of Elatior begonias
Elatior begonias are significantly larger than, for example, ice begonias, which are valued as grave and trough plants, and usually reach heights of between around 30 and 50 cm. As with all begonia varieties, the leaves of the Elatior begonias are asymmetrically shaped. Elatior begonias should be watered regularly and sparingly. The top layer of substrate in the pot should be allowed to dry out a little between waterings, so that there is no chance of unnoticed waterlogging in the pot. Although these begonias love relatively bright locations, they do not tolerate being placed in full sun very well. Therefore, as houseplants, they should not be placed directly next to a window with a lot of sunlight.
That's what these begonias are all about
The Elatior begonias are plant species specially bred through cross-breeding, which usually result from cross-breeding experiments with the following mother plants:
- Begonia veitchii
- Begonia socotrana
- Begonia rosaeflora
- Begonia boliviensis
The Begonia tuberhybrida variety, which has already been created through crossbreeding, is also often cross-bred. This results in a variety of subspecies that bloom in a wide variety of colors and either single or double.
Popular varieties of Elatior begonias
Since the first crosses that produced Elatior begonias around 1880, new begonia varieties and especially subspecies of Elatior begonias have appeared in well-stocked plant shops every year, which are particularly popular as houseplants. Some of the most popular varieties of Elatior begonias are:
- Begonia x hiemalis Bacchus
- Begonia x hiemalis Renaissance
- Begonia x hiemalis Carneval
- Begonia x hiemalis Alma
- Begonia x hiemalis Rondo
Please note that begonias are generally not frost hardy and need to be protected over the winter.
Tip
Elatior begonias grow very precisely according to the current “day length”. With at least 14 hours of daylight at a time, there is increased shoot and leaf growth (vegetative growth), while "short days" with less than 13 hours of sunlight tend to promote flower formation. As houseplants on a windowsill, Elatior begonias often bloom particularly prominently during the winter months. But you can also have a regulating effect on growth by changing the location of the plants or ensuring a controlled day length (for example using a plant light lamp).
