Metallic Leaf Begonia
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. NC State Extension publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Partial ShadeNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally DryNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand; pH Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No record of poisoning in people is listed for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Propagation
- Like most begonias, it is propagated from leaf or stem cuttings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- In spring and early summer new stems rise from under the soil; pinching or cutting back older stems encourages more new growth, and the older stems left behind then branch out more.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Move something and watch
Loading the simulator. It needs JavaScript; the care table above does not.
Photographs
About the plant
Begonia incarnata is a species of plant in the family Begoniaceae, native to Brazil. It is a shrublike evergreen perennial growing to 1 metre (39 in), bearing large, asymmetrical green leaves with a metallic sheen, and dark green veins. It produces small hairy pink flowers. As it does not tolerate temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F), in temperate regions it must be grown under glass.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- MexicoWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Mexico, Central America, Tropical AmericaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- scrambling subshrubWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Herbaceous Perennial; habit dense, roundedNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 36–48 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers pink; blooms in fall, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Other Begonia
Polka dot begoniaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Rex begoniaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
- No photograph yetBegonia taliensisSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Begonia venosaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Elephant-Ear BegoniaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Iron Cross BegoniaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
More of the Begoniaceae family
Plants with similar care
AcajouSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Acorus gramineusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Alberta Prayer PlantSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetAlocasia azlaniiSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetAlocasia lauterbachianaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Alocasia micholitzianaSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.