Begonia maculata Silverspot - Polka dot begonia

Begonia maculata ‘Silverspot’, the polka dot begonia (or bamboo begonia), will please fans of architectural foliage. Its angel-wing-shaped leaves, speckled with silver, brighten up a living room, bedroom or study. This beautiful plant will thrive near a window where light is filtered by a sheer curtain and in an atmosphere that is not too dry.

Begonia maculata, from the Begoniaceae family, is a botanical species native to southeastern Brazil, where it grows in humid tropical environments. The cultivar ‘Silverspot’ is a horticultural selection distributed in nurseries. It is appreciated for its upright stems, marked with nodes, which earn it the nickname "bamboo begonia", and for its decorative foliage: its leaves are elongated, asymmetrical, 12 to 20 cm long, olive green to dark green, studded with rather fine silver dots and purplish on the underside. Indoors, the plant can produce trailing clusters of small pinkish-white flowers with a yellow centre over a long period when conditions are suitable. Its growth is fairly fast; in a pot, it often reaches 60 cm to 1 m in height (sometimes more).
Note: Begonia is toxic if ingested (especially for cats and dogs).

To thrive, it requires bright indirect light, a stable environment, 50 to 70% humidity and 18 to 26 °C, avoiding temperatures dropping below 15 °C. It is a somewhat demanding plant: it does well if the air is not too dry and sudden changes in temperature and overwatering are avoided. It particularly enjoys a bright living room, a light kitchen or a well-lit bathroom.

To show off this begonia, place it in a pot that is taller than it is wide on a low piece of furniture, or in a large bowl on the floor, so that its leaves have enough space to spread out. It is perfect for complementing an Art Deco display or dressing a more contemporary interior, with brushed metal and plain textiles. You can pair it with Anthurium crystallinum with velvety, veined leaves, Asplenium nidus ‘Crispy Wave’, which forms an undulate rosette or a trailing Hoya ‘Eskimo’. A Peperomia argyreia (the 'watermelon peperomia') will look good in the foreground of this display.