Ferocious foliage fuels fervor

I am continually astounded by the beauty and diversity of Kingdom Plantae. It's no wonder that so many gardeners are passionately driven to expand their knowledge of plants and to increase their collections of flora from exotic places around the world. I aim to introduce you to some of the most intriguing, beautiful and rare plants our planet has to offer. I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but houseplants are a big deal these days. This new generation of “plant parents” is looking for botanical treasures to beautify their living spaces and impress their friends on social media. They are avid collectors willing to spend some serious cash on rare and unusual plants. They show off their indoor jungles to the world on Instagram and TikTok, and many of these young, intrepid plant lovers really possess serious knowledge about horticulture. If nothing else, I hope this piece helps to entertain you, educate you and perhaps prevent you from getting schooled by your 15-year-old niece about aroid reproduction next Christmas.

I would like to introduce you to Begonia ferox. Ferox translates to “ferocious” in Latin, and this begonia certainly looks ferocious, though in this case looks are a bit deceiving. The mature ovate leaves of B. ferox are green and covered with pointy cone-shaped spikes called bullae. These spikes are dark red, almost black, covering the surface of the leaves. 

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Photo Courtesy of Greenhouse Management

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