Grow Rieger Begonia
Rieger begonia (Begonia x hiemalis), Elator hybrids also known as Winter Begonia comes from a huge family of begoniaceae. It is a hybrid cross between tuberous and wax (fibrous) begonia that was developed by Otto Rieger (not Reiger), a German plant breeder. Some consider it a toss plant but with proper care and a little know-how it can bloom up to 6 months indoors and after a rest period be coaxed to rebloom.
Rieger begonia produces a reddish, fleshy stem with glossy, asymmetrical serrated leaves. At the end of each stem, it develops a cluster of 3 double rose shaped flowers; one large showy male and two smaller females. The male flowers will drop off within 2-3 days after opening.
Care:
R. begonia does not grow in hot humid regions. It prefers cool temperatures of 70F during the day and 60-65F @ night with bright indirect sun (east window); that’s why it’s a popular winter flowering plant. Grow it in well-drained peat/perlite soil mix or African violet soil and feed with ½ strength houseplant fertilizer every 2 weeks when actively growing. When watering, let it to dry slightly between watering but not too dry or too wet
Be sure to remove the spent flowers to stimulate new bloom.
Re-blooming Once the plant slows down and stops blooming cut it back to several inches above the soil line and place in a cool, medium light area, keeping on the dry side or place it in the shade outdoors during the summer. When you see new growth, repot the plant to a larger container, move it to bright indirect light and start watering and fertilizing. Rieger begonia responds to short days and cool night temperatures (fall/winter) which stimulates it to bloom again.
Trouble shooting
-Direct sun will scorch the leaves
-Too much light will turn the foliage a copper color, then brown.
-Avoid getting water on the leaves as it can cause powdery mildew problems.
-Too much fertilizer will turn the foliage blue green and curled at the ends.
-Overwatering with low temps causes leaves to wilt and turn brown.
-Keep away from heating vents or cold drafts.
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2007-5-19
Nancy L. Newell
I received a red begonia as a Mothers Day gift. Now the big question. what is the proper way to care for it. and is it a annual or perennial plant ? also my mandavilla plant has only a few green spots on it, but rest looks like it died. can I cut it back now ?
thank you,
are rieger begonias hard to grow??the gardens around here dont have them,but I DID FIND ONE IN SAFEWAY,AND IT BLOOMED ALL THE TIME INDOORS..EDMONTON.ALBERTA
I received a rieger begonia from my little grandson for my birthday and wondered if it can be planted outside. We live in North Carolina and it gets very hot in the summer months. If it is kept indoors, can it sit in a west window. That is the only window that gets nice sunshine in the afternoon.
A GROCERY STORE GOT THE REAL RIEGER BEGONIAS IN,BUT WERE FROST BITTEN IN TRANSPORT,THE SAM STORE ON THE OTHE SIDE OF THE CITY [THE SAME DAY] GOT THEIRS IN,BUT WITH A BIG SIGN HANGING IN THIER STORE,RIEGER BEGONIAS ARRIVED BUT THEY ALL HAD BUGS ON THEM,,MY QUESTION!!!ARE THESE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO LICE AND BUGS,?THANKS SO MUCH.
I just got a rieger begonia from my mothers funeral and I want to take care of it for obvious reasons. I live in Austin TX and was wondering if I could plant this outdoors on my semi protected patio with a drip system that waters every 5 days or should I try to keep it indoors? My house is window and light limited along with cats that like greens. I also got a peace lily and a philodendron. I have been researching and it seems they both should stay indoors in our hot summers. Mom always answered these questions or me so I would appreciate any help.
I live in Minnesota. Just received a rieger begonia. Is this an inside or outside plant for our location?
Hello I received a rieger begonia for Mother’s Day. They are yellow and one red one that has died. I live in the Boston Ma. area. I was wondering if I should plant it in a container or if I could plant it outside? Will it come back every year? I am not a gardner but trying to get into it. So I am really lost when it comes to plants and flowers!! Maybe you could give me some tips on which plants and flowers are best to plant in my area that will come back each year? Thank you so so so much!
Bought 2 beautiful blooming Rieger Begonias today; they were under a cool greenhouse, so I assume planting them indoors is best. We live in the hot & humid southland called Alabama and I’m not so sure these babies could handle the heat. I’ve read both east & west windows, so I’m confused. May I just have an approximate time of indirect sunlight needed to keep these beauties alive? Thanks for the help & the website is quite informative & useful!
Begonia hardiness
How do I protect my recently planted wax and riger begonias from winter weather in Florida without digging them all out?
I live in Bellevue Nebraska. I have a Rieger begonia in a hanging pot which I got this spring which I have outside in a mostly shaded area. I had a light pink one last year and it bloomed so well when I saw a orange-red one I had to have it. It is outside all summer and is beautiful. It is so very little work and it has become my husband’s favorite. It is probably because of all the color it provides. I had no idea I could keep it over inside. Well, I will give it a try anyway. Your site is wonderful. Thank you for the inspiration.
i have an angel wing begonia that i sit on my deck through the warm months, we had an early frost and i forgot to bring it inside, will it come back if i bring it inside?
Hello,
Any advice or help you could give me would be great! Thanks!!
I love in Pensacola, FL. It is very hot and humid here in the summers, and dry and cold in the winters. I just received a Rieger Begonia from my Employer for the passing of my grandpa. I would like to keep it alive for his memory but i have never had good luck with keeping plants alive. I live in a small apartment and I never open the blinds and there isn’t much sunlight that comes in them anyways, but I would open them if it would help. I don’t know which way is West or East in my apartment so I don’t know what to do, this will be my first plant other than a fern, which didn’t live very long.
Flower color change
Hi! I have what was a baby pink Rieger Begonia that I got a couple years ago. It’s been doing great except that now when it flowers, almost all the flowers are white with only 1 or 2 that have any signs of pink on them. Do I need to change the soil pH or is there anything else I can do to make them more pink again? Thanks!
Brown spots
Hey I just got a pink Rieger Begonia. I didn’t water it yet because it was moist when I brought it home from the florist and I was a little worried about overwatering. I am going to water it today, but I noticed brown spots on some of the blooms. Is that mold? I cut all the brown blooms off because I don’t want it to spread to the rest of the plant. The brown is like on the edges of some flowers. It is not dead spots becasue it is wet.
Hi – I bought rieger begonia’s for the first time last summer ( I live in Philadelphia area) and they did so well through the summer and fall, I bought a lot more this summer. They did much better than my geraniums. I have moved into a home with an enclosed porch although it is NOT heated. Can I move my begonia’s in the porch around fall – and will they continue to bloom like a houseplant? OR should i move them into the house – again hopefully to bloom. OR should I cut them back and store them and pull them out next spring.
Thank You:)
Stem rot
I have had my rieger begonia sitting under my porch for a few months, and it did very good. I live in Alabama, where we have been experiencing high 90 temps. I have begun to notice some of the stems at the base of the plant rotting and turning dark colors. I went out of town and I think it may have been over watered by a friend. I am unsure if the heat or the over watering is causing the problem. Should I cut off the stems that are appearing to be turning bad? I have moved the plant indoors, where it will continue to receive indirect sunlight.
Thanks!