Begonia MUDDY WATERS is a so called leaf begonia because leaf begonia’s are loved for their beautiful leafs, not for their flowers as they are usualy tiny. This one is a strong plant with almost black leafs, the back of the leafs is dark red and the edges have soft hairs. I have this plant in my collection for many years now and it is so easy to care for, always happy weather it is dry or wet. It prefers half sun or shade but light, it prefers regular watering but I often forget to water it as most of my plants are cacti and succulents….it can survive weeks without water !! I always use all purpose soil for all my plants, for the cacti and succulents I mix it with sand and grit, for those who love it wet, I mix it with water retaining granules but for most of my plants I just use it as it is. The leafs can be used in a flower arrangement, they can be dried very well and don’t lose their pretty dark colour, the flowers are pink, pretty but tiny. They can be easily reproduced, just break off a branch and put it in soil, there are always tiny roots on the branches, really very easy. They grow medium fast and if they are too big for the space they get I remove some stems and then I remove the biggest leafs on what is left and you ‘ll get a new small plant. I love this plant !
If you give it some plantfood it will grow faster and bigger and it will give you more flowers but as I said, it is an easy plant and always happy. A plant for the not so green fingered.
Here are a few more pictures of it.
Gwennie, I just adore this Begonia! What unusual leaves! I also love your description of how you care for it. The leaf rooting sounds so easy when you describe it! This is one of my favorite Begonia leaf shapes, too. I love how they curl around the stem. My dad had a Begonia with this shaped leaf when I was still living at home, but it was a shiny green leaf. I’ve looked for one like it for years, with no success. Thank you for sharing photos of this beautiful plant, and for mentioning it in my comments so I could find it. Best wishes, Elizabeth
Thank you for liking my post about my passion for flowers! I love the pictures above, showing some of the leaves in a “conch shell” shape, which I have not noticed before in begonia foliage.
This shape is the building block for all live, the “Golden Ratio”, which is especially visible in budding fern leaves, pine cones and echeveria’s.
When I was younger, begonia’s were not were not on my list of popular plants for the silly “old ladies” stigma, but I put some in my garden over the past Summer and they flowered for months and really brightened up my front yard.
I hope you don’t mind me mentioning here that we have something in common, that besides blogging about happiness and gratitude, I also have a Face Book page about my love of gardening, cacti and succulents! https://www.facebook.com/EsthersGardenGems 😉
I know some plants are ‘in fashion” and others “are for the oldies) but I like them for their qualities and beauty and begonia’s are easy plants and with an immence variety !
Came across https://myfoodandflowers.wordpress.com/ and thought it might interest you.
It’s an absolute beauty with that dark foliage.
it is isn’t it and the leafs dry nicely and stay black and it is lovely to use the fresh leafs in a flowerarrangement, it adds a bit of drama !
Wonder if they were named after the Blues musician?
I think they are named after their colour ? muddy water is dark….
Begonias are my favorite! Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you like it !