Begonia of the Week

Begonia goegoensis, with its round, green-bronze, quilted peltate leaves, was discovered on the island of Goego, in Sumatra, in 1881. It's a rhizomatous form that can be grown in a terrarium, but if you give it 50-60% humidity it will survive indoor conditions. The ideal temperature range is 70°-75°, but mine has experienced daytime highs in the 90's to nighttime lows in the 40's and didn't drop a leaf. However, this one requires a bit more attention to its ambient conditions than most. I have a weakness for peltate leaves, and B. goegoensis is one of the most exotic-looking that I grow.

They say that the number of species lost forever is greater than all the species that have been discovered in the past or will be found in the future. Some species in cultivation are already extinct in the wild, so growing, propagating and sharing them is a way to prevent them from disappearing.