Strawberry Begonia Care

Strawberry Begonias require lots of water for proper growth but make sure you don’t overwater them. Let the upper part of the soil dry completely before watering again. Water them using a watering plate rather than above, so you avoid getting water on their leaves, as this might cause fungal disease. In late winter, you can reduce the watering to the minimum until the middle of spring, when you can return to regular watering. This will help the plant bloom more and keep the flowers longer.

During the growth period, this plant will produce lots of new runners in the lower part of the pot. You can cut these to maintain the plant’s appearance or even to grow new plants from them. Remove any dying or dried leaves or plant parts to encourage plant growth, but don’t cut on the yellow tissue of the plants, as this might spread possible disease to the rest of the plant and give the growth rhythm a shock.

Fertilize Strawberry Begonias weekly during the spring season with a diluted liquid fertilizer. You can follow the same pattern for fertilization as you do with watering in late winter. It's best to keep it to the minimum until the middle of spring, so the flowers are encouraged to bloom.

Keep the Strawberry Begonia out of direct sunlight, which might burn the leaves quickly. They like receiving bright light, especially during spring, when the plant gets ready to bloom. An east- or west-facing window would be a great choice.

Use well-draining soil for potting this plant. Use pre-mixed potting soil containing perlite, sand, peat moss, and neutral to acidic pH levels. You can also use regular potting soil; it will not affect the plant too much as long as you ensure it does not hold water; otherwise, it might develop root rot.

Strawberry Begonia propagation is easy, as it produces many offsets during growth. It is also necessary, as the plant does not thrive for more than a few years. Place these runners in individual pots with sandy soil away from direct light. The roots will form quickly, and you can start to water the new plants just like you do with the mother plant.

Strawberry Begonias prefer cooler temperatures than warm temperatures and will thrive in temperatures between 50°F and 70°F (10°C-21°C). Please don’t keep it in very humid air, as this can encourage fungal disease. Average humidity is ideal for this plant, but look out for dry leaves because this might indicate the plant does not get enough moisture.

Use a pot with drainage holes, as Strawberry Begonia does not like being in soggy soil. You will need to re-pot it once every three years or when it starts to outgrow its container. They prefer to be pot-bound rather than have a lot of space, so don’t use a container that is too big for the plant.

Despite being called “Strawberry Begonia,” this plant has nothing to do with strawberries or begonias. Its name comes from tiny white flowers that look like strawberries ones. The leaves also resemble begonia leaves, but Strawberry Begonia has its own growth rules and is already remarkable.