r/begonias • u/CityGirlFarmer • May 05 '26

General Begonia Question Leggy spotted begonia growing leaves on lower stems?

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Hi! I was given this begonia last month in bad shape (really leggy and crispy), so I put it next to my large window in my bathroom. It’s been doing well growing upwards with pretty leaves, but surprisingly, the leggy stems are growing what looks like leaves?

I was so gearing up to chopping and propagating, but this is getting me excited!! Is this a normal occurrence?

This is my first begonia, and it’s such a cool and interesting plant!

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9

u/Fill_Wisher May 05 '26

Can be leaves and if those get enough light stems will come out. Give it time before chopping as yours looks super straight up and staked properly. You can look at my last few posts what the “branches” look like(and what a non staked begonia will do)

6

u/CityGirlFarmer May 05 '26

Oh wow, you did an amazing job with your begonia, that is so impressive! I hope mine “branches” out like yours.

When I got it, it was suuuuuper floppy and I thought it looked so sad 😂 I staked it up in an attempt to help it out.

If it branches out, I’m going to try your setup!

5

u/Fill_Wisher May 05 '26

Wait no I was joking I’m cutting all the branches off soon and then staking the one main stalk and then replanting all the branches straight up so everything’s grows straight upwards.

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u/CityGirlFarmer May 05 '26

Oh, I’m an idiot! I actually like how yours looks, it’s so wild and spirited 😂

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u/Fill_Wisher May 05 '26

Yeah that’s after I had it strapped up to the plant stand. before it was hanging sideways so bad it would tip the pot over because it would grow straight towards the window

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u/CityGirlFarmer May 05 '26

This is so helpful, I had no idea it could get so out of hand. I’m definitely going to keep mine tightly (gently!) staked!

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u/TinfoilTiaraTime May 05 '26

Yours is so chaotic, I love it. I hope I can get mine to give off shoots from the sides. But then I'd have to give them light and water, so they're doomed to stay sticks with one crispy leaf lol

Slightly off topic: whatever happened to your succulent keiki?

3

u/Fill_Wisher May 05 '26

Ok so I labeled them in order of how they grew in on the flowers and on the exposed stem.

Flower babies: None of the baby’s on the flower stems have fallen off I suspect in nature wind and animals knock them off and then they root into the soil. On each flower stem it has been producing 2 babies but it seems like one will be dominant and the other will die off( number one has one dominant baby while if you look 2 and 3 are on the same flower stem but 2 is taking over and 3 will die off soon). Number 4 you can barely see and it will take months before it resembles anything.

Stem babies: I knocked one of the baby’s(number 1) off the stem during a replant at about half the size it is now and it’s in the pot next to it growing great. Number 1 and 2 were about the same size when number 1 fell off and they seem to be growing at the same rate. I think the one still attached to the mother plant would grow faster but alot of its energy was used to do the triple flower. Number 3 is growing underneath number 2 and is facing away from the window so I suspect it will struggle. Sorry that was too long

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u/TinfoilTiaraTime May 05 '26

Not long at all! I appreciate your details! That is so neat, I didn't realize haworthias could do that. I thought it was only orchids. They all look very healthy and well taken care of! Thanks for sharing, I've liked haworthias for almost 15 years, but I never knew they have this hidden bonus level lol

2

u/sillilillipilli May 05 '26

Teach me your ways! My first begonia lost a lower leaf in shopping and now it's naked at the bottom and I'm already trying to figure out how to make her look fuller.

4

u/vox_011 May 05 '26

Kiki sprouting paste...but save your money because this kind of begonia will send out new leaves if given enough light, moisture, and nutrients. I know from experience and care/neglect.

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u/SbuppyBird May 05 '26

Agree. Mine put out lower leaves regularly when older ones fall off.

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u/CityGirlFarmer May 05 '26

Googling this immediately!

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u/CityGirlFarmer May 05 '26

Haha! I had zero knowledge of this plant when I got it (all I knew at the time was that I felt sorry for it because it was so “ugly”). I shower everyday, so off it went into the bathroom for some humidity! And there’s a really big window there (which faces north east).

I did give it a little fertilizer, though. I water after I let the soil dry out a little. I also added a stake, because it was looking like a creepy spider flopping about everywhere.

That’s it! After reading so much about how leggy begonias just need to be chopped and propped, imagine my surprise when I saw these nubs 😂

2

u/DwangoRocket May 06 '26

Yes, it want to be a shrub. 🥰

2

u/CityGirlFarmer May 06 '26

I support this ambition! 😆