Begonia Miri Sp. Care

About: 

Begonia Miri Sp. Papua New Guinea (formerly Begonia Miri sp. Sarawak Borneo) is a cane Begonia with a vertical growth habit native to (you'll never guess) the Sarawak region of Borneo! Just kidding, that was fake news apparently - Papua New Guinea. It is considered a terrarium plant as it requires a high humidity environment such as a terrarium, greenhouse, cabinet or other enclosed container. I would strongly caution against keeping these in normal household conditions. You're to try and acclimate them, I've not had a lot of success, but anything is possible lol.

Also, they look metal AF. 

Family: 

Begoniaceae

Light Requirements:

Moderate to semi-shade. My shop plants are grown at about 100-200 PPFD (µmol/m²/s) I suspect they'd tolerate more or less without a lot of issue. 

Temperature & Humidity: 

70 - 80° F (21 - 26.5° C) / 75% + Humidity. 
As mentioned above, these are definitely humidity loving plants. They tend to crisp up pretty quickly (at least for me) any time I've tried to get them below 60% - They seem happiest above 75% (my shop plants are at 80%)

Watering: 

Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged.

Grow Media:

These guys don't seem very particular about their substrate, at least in my experience. Mine are doing very well potted in a Begonia Mix but if in a terrarium, a terrarium-specific mix might be more appropriate. I have also grown them in perlite and Pon and they seem to do well in both. 

I haven't tried to grow them in LECA, but I suspect they'd do alright. They have a root structure similar to most other cane Begonia, and I've had no problems with those in really any semi-hydro media.

Growth Rate:

Provided they're getting enough humidity, I've actually found them to be pretty fast growers.

Propagation: 

On a scale of 1 (easiest) to 5 (most difficult) I'd say... 3. They can be a little challenging (prone to melting) for people who are new to propagating these kinds of plants, but for anyone experienced with more sensitive Begonia, they should be relatively hassle-free. I do all mine in a high-heat, high-humidity environment, which can be accomplished pretty easily with a prop box and heat mat. I use this Semi-Hydro Prop Mix (composed of perlite, Fluval Stratum and, optionally, vermiculite) but straight perlite, Fluval or I'm sure moss would also be okeydokey. 

Toxicity: 

Begonia are considered mildly toxic to pets and people as they calcium oxalate crystals which can cause oral irritation. In rare cases, it can result in painful swelling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. It's rarely fatal but can be  extremely uncomfortable. 

Additional Information: 

I was pretty intimidated by this plant when I first bought it in, it shipped terribly and I'd heard a lot of horror stories about their diva-like tendencies, but that melted mess of a stump bounced back surprisingly well and has mothered about 1,000 props since then. 

Once they are stable and happy in their environment, I actually find them to be very easy to get on with. 

If you have any questions, or some advice of your own to offer, please feel free to comment below. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!