Name: Begonia thelmae [cutting] (Thelma)
Brand: Sunshine State Foliage
SKU: BEG-THEL-CUT
Price: 7.50 USD
Availability: InStock

Home / All Plants (Excluding Marcgravia) / Begonia thelmae [cutting] (Thelma)

Begonia thelmae [cutting] (Thelma)

GenusBegoniaRegionSouth AmericaPlant GroupBegoniasGrowth HabitRhizomatousSetupTerrariumDifficultyIntermediate

Care information

Pictured are example photos of what to expect to receive when you purchase this item. May have some roots, but is otherwise easily rooted by laying across damp sphagnum.

Requires higher humidity, lower light, and decent airflow. I've successfully kept it as a patio plant in Z10a with humidity drops to 30% RH and temperature drops into the 40s overnight.

Oh yeah! Almost forgot: highly iridescent.

Plant Details

Airflow: Medium — Essential for "wetish" setups. Needs regular air exchange or internal circulation fans to prevent water from sitting on leaves, which helps avoid rot and fungal issues.
Family: Begoniaceae
Growth strategy: Terrestrial
Humidity: 80–100% — The "Sweet Spot" for most rare tropicals and shinglers. This high-saturation environment is essential for aerial root attachment to hardscape and ensures that delicate foliage maintains its turgidity and sheen.
Lighting: Moderate — Prefers bright, filtered, or indirect light. This is the "sweet spot" for most terrarium species; however, direct sun or high-intensity LEDs will scorch delicate juvenile leaves.
PH: 5.5–6.5 — Acidic (Optimal): The “Goldilocks” zone for most tropical terrarium plants, including Marcgravia. This range ensures maximum nutrient availability and mimics the natural decomposition of leaf litter on the rainforest floor.
Sales form: Cutting
Size: Medium
Temperature: 65–75°F — Ideal for "Cool-Growers" or highland species. These plants prefer the lower end of the tropical spectrum and may show signs of stress or heat-dropping leaves if temperatures consistently exceed 80°F.
Watering substrate: Damp — These plants love high moisture levels; the substrate should stay wet to the touch at all times but should not be sitting in a stagnant, waterlogged state.
World: New World — Native to the Western Hemisphere: North, Central, and South America plus the Caribbean