Begonia ningmingensis
Ningming Begonia
Typical UK price
£25
Limited data
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 0
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- 28 Jul 2026
- On record
- 2
Cutting/cormEstimate
7cm2 sold
12cmEstimate
MatureEstimate
- Sale
- Typical
- Middle half
- Estimate
for a 7cm pot
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Recent UK sales
For sale in the UK
By month
| Month | Median | Sold |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | £22 | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | £29 | 1 |
Before you buy
- Check leaf margins for crisping or browning, a sign the plant has been kept too dry for its needs before sale
- Confirm the small rhizome is firm, since rot is hard to reverse at this scale
- Look for fungal spotting on the leaf surface, more common on humidity-dependent types than on larger begonias
- Ask how the plant has been kept — one moved straight from a closed terrarium into open room air will need a gradual acclimation period
About Begonia ningmingensis
Guangxi's karst limestone landscape has produced a steady run of newly described begonias, and Begonia ningmingensis (Fang, Wei & Peng) is one of the more accessible results. Bullate, dark green to bronzy leaves carry pale contrasting venation and rich red undersides, borne on reddish petioles from a short rhizome that creeps at substrate level into a neat, sculptural clump. It grows in shaded, humid understory on moist organic debris over thin humus on limestone rock, native to Ningming County.
Native range
Guangxi, China (limestone forest, Ningming County)
Classification
- Genus
- Begonia
- Family
- Begoniaceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Compact rhizomatous clump
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Broadly ovateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base., bullate, asymmetrical
- Leaf length
- 8-18 cm
- Leaf width
- 7-15 cm
- Petiole colour
- Reddish
- Venation
- Pale, contrasting venation on dark green to bronzy blade
- Texture
- Bullate, semi-matte, red undersides
- Variegation
- None
- Growth habit
- Short rhizome at substrate surface producing compact clump
Begonia ningmingensis care
- Substrate
- A fine, well-draining mix — 50% perlite, 30% potting compost, 20% fine orchid bark or a little limestone chip for a calcareous species — suits the small root system without letting the compost turn sodden.
- Watering
- Water little and often rather than a deep soak-and-dry cycle; this is a small plant with a shallow root run, and both drought stress and standing water show up quickly on the foliage.
- Humidity
- High, 75-90%. A closed or well-humidified setup keeps the leaf's bullate texture and venation contrast at their best.
- Feeding
- Feed sparingly — an eighth-to-quarter-strength liquid fertiliser once a month in the growing season is enough. It's a slow grower and easily over-fed.
- Repotting
- Rarely needed. Move up a pot size only when the clump visibly outgrows its container, typically every 18-24 months.
Common problems
Crispy leaf margins
Cause: Humidity too low, especially outside an enclosed terrarium
Fix: Move to a closed or high-humidity setup rather than relying on misting alone, which only raises humidity briefly
Slow to establish after purchase or division
Cause: The small rhizome takes time to settle into new substrate
Fix: Keep conditions stable and humid for the first few weeks rather than repotting or moving it again
Fungal leaf spotting
Cause: Still, stagnant humid air with no airflow
Fix: Add gentle air movement (a small fan on low, or a terrarium vent) even in an enclosed setup
Gear for this plant
- Natural Rooting Powder, 3 x 75gRooting hormone powder for stem and leaf cuttings.
- Precision Bonsai Pruning Scissors, 200mmFine-bladed snips for clean node cuts when taking a cutting.
- Humidity Dome, Heavy-Duty Germination KitVented propagation dome for holding humidity around fresh cuttings.
- Digital Hygrometer & ThermometerLCD humidity and temperature gauge for checking a grow spot against a plant's target range.
How to propagate Begonia ningmingensis
- Methods
- Leaf cutting, Stem cutting, Rhizome division. Step-by-step guide
- Difficulty
- Easy. Forgiving of missed waterings, average home humidity, and imperfect light. A solid pick for beginners or low-fuss collections.
- Time to establish
- 3-5 months
- True from cuttings
- Yes. Cuttings keep the cultivar's character.
- Notes
- Small leaf or petiole cuttings root well in a closed, humid propagator — these smaller-rhizomed species are slower to bulk up than their larger relatives, so expect new plantlets to take longer to reach a saleable size.