White Begonia cucullata male flowers with yellow stamens and female flowers with yellow coiled stigmas grow beside a green leaf on red stems

Begonia cucullata

Name: Begonia cucullata
Address: CO

Native to Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina, this succulent perennial herb has a compact, bushy habit. It reaches about 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide, with glossy leaves and white or pink flowers. Male and female flowers occur separately on the same plant. The capsules have three unequal wings and produce many tiny seeds. It is an ancestor of the widely grown wax begonia hybrids used for bedding and containers. Introduced to Colombia and many other regions, it is invasive in Florida, where it spreads in disturbed habitats. Photographed in the central Andes of Colombia.

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Two white Begonia cucullata male flowers have broad and narrow tepals surrounding yellow stamens on a reddish stalk

A white Begonia cucullata male flower with yellow stamens grows beside a female flower and pale buds on a red stem

A side view of a white Begonia cucullata male flower shows its dense yellow stamens and narrow inner tepals