Begonia sizemoreae
Sizemore's Begonia
Typical UK price
£7
Limited data
Price by size
- Sold, 90 days
- 1
- Middle half
- -
- Last sold
- 7 Aug 2026
- On record
- 2
Cutting/cormEstimate
7cm1 sold
12cm1 on record
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | £7 | 1 |
| May 2026 | £6 | 1 |
US eBay sold listings (not UK prices)
1 sold on ebay.com, 29 May 2026 to 29 May 2026, median US$32. These are not UK sales and are not in the UK price.
Rare Begonia Sizemoreae Longiciliata In 3 And 4 Inch Pots Fully Rooted
US$32 · 29 May 2026
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 the silvery central zone to read with real contrast against the darker margins — fading suggests under-humidified stock
- 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 sizemoreae
Vietnam's limestone forests have quietly supplied a handful of collector begonias, and Begonia sizemoreae (Kiew) is one of the better ones: a compact rhizomatous species with velvety, asymmetrical leaves showing a distinctly silvery central zone that fades to darker margins, red underneath. It grows in deep shade on moist, humus-rich substrate among rocks and leaf litter in sheltered, humid understory, creeping by a surface rhizome into handsome clumps on red petioles. It's the quieter counterpart to ningmingensis from the same limestone-begonia tradition — beautiful, rarely the first species discussed, and more obtainable than its quality would suggest.
Native range
Vietnam (humid limestone-associated forest understory)
Classification
- Genus
- Begonia
- Family
- Begoniaceae
- Type
- Wild
- Growth habit
- Compact rhizomatous clump
Morphology
- Leaf shape
- Velvety, asymmetrical, broadly ovateEgg-shaped leaves, with the wider end near the base.
- Leaf length
- 7-15 cm
- Leaf width
- 6-13 cm
- Petiole colour
- Red
- Venation
- Visible beneath silvery central zone
- Texture
- Velvety, red undersides
- Variegation
- Silvery central zone with darker margins (natural species colouration)
- Growth habit
- Surface rhizome, compact clumping
Begonia sizemoreae 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
- Very high, 80-90%. A closed or well-humidified setup keeps the silvery zoning from fading and the leaf margins from crisping.
- 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 sizemoreae
- 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.