Couple of years old, blooms almost year-round. Had 3 stems, cut 2.

Propagates easily in water or soil, but I expected new growth from the cut stems on the mother.
Someone tell me I'm wrong please so I can stop thinking about this.

Left several inches of leaves on them, hacked the top and made cuttings.

The stems died, leaving me with one stem 2' tall, almost to the point it can't support itself.

I can stake it, but are these considered short term plants that you keep going through generations of cuttings? On a windowsill, straight southern light but shaded from western.

I used to keep angel wings for years and years, been a while but I don't recall having to stake them until they were much taller. Just their massive pillows of pink flowers.

Thanks

Pics? Did you maybe mean dragon wing?

Sure.
I've seen them called dragon/demon/devil wing. Part of why I hate common names.





It's been growing up against a window. When I took it outside it just flopped over.

Cane begonias have a mind of their own, in my care. I have taken tips and rooted them for new pots, usually look good for a while, sometimes the base leafed out nice. Some canes get gorgeous and other times they are sickly. I would cut and root what stem is left and discard the base.
The leaves look spaced as if it wanted even more light.

sallyg said: Cane begonias have a mind of their own, in my care. I have taken tips and rooted them for new pots, usually look good for a while, sometimes the base leafed out nice. Some canes get gorgeous and other times they are sickly. I would cut and root what stem is left and discard the base.
The leaves look spaced as if it wanted even more light.

Thanks.
So I gather forcing new growth by stem cutting is hit and miss with these?

I have a love/hate relationship with this plant, so maybe getting rid of the base isn't a bad idea.

But yeah, once I took it away from the window and outside, had to prop it up again the Jeep tire or it'd just fall over. I see no point in staking it if I'm never going to get new branching.

this time of year, I would try three pieces of cane if you have them, pot together, put in shade, and ignore except don't let them get all dry. My theory is they can't take much wind either. Then I'd probably water and stick the crummy base in the shade too and see if it sprouts.
I read a persuasive article on Brad's Begonias some years ago in which you should put 2 nodes below surface with canes, and the underground node should make a new shoot. and this is 99 perecnt of any wisdom I think I have with begnoias.

I had one potted, and stuck a tiny spider plant in the pot, now the spider has gotten huge but it seemed to suck the begonia dry and killed it.

sallyg said: ...you should put 2 nodes below surface with canes, and the underground node should make a new shoot. and this is 99 perecnt of any wisdom I think I have with begnoias.

Thanks!

It looks stretched from low light, but otherwise fine, ready to get kicking over summer. I also think it is a cane type. Looks exactly like most of my canes did before I took them back outside. I have that plant in a bunch of pots, maybe 20.

Side branches aren't the goal, IMVHO, although some stems sometime make them. My goal is to inspire that big, fat new stem (in pic) to come up from the roots, by chopping off too-tall &/or puny stems, which, like Sally said, are used to make more Begonias.


Lots of pics of B. coccinea:
Cane Begonia (Begonia coccinea)

ABS website article about cane Begonias
https://www.begonias.org/cane-...

Dragon wing has, that I've seen, referred to the hybrid between B. coccinea and wax B.
Dragon Wing Begonia (Begonia Dragon Wing® Red)
Dragon Wing Begonia (Begonia Dragon Wing® Pink)

Cane Begonias & mallet Begonias are angel wings. Yes, you can use whatever nickname you want, but these are the traditional applications of those nicknames.

I find that Dragonwing Begonias tend not to act like cane-stems as far as basal sprouts. Cutting long stems doesn't seem to encourage much branching either. Tip cuttings work better than mid-stem ones. When they're growing strong they're easy-breezy but if they start to struggle they have a hard time recuperating.

purpleinopp said: It looks stretched from low light, but otherwise fine, ready to get kicking over summer. I also think it is a cane type. Looks exactly like most of my canes did before I took them back outside. I have that plant in a bunch of pots, maybe 20.

Side branches aren't the goal, IMVHO, although some stems sometime make them. My goal is to inspire that big, fat new stem (in pic) to come up from the roots, by chopping off too-tall &/or puny stems, which, like Sally said, are used to make more Begonias.


Lots of pics of B. coccinea:
Cane Begonia (Begonia coccinea)

ABS website article about cane Begonias
https://www.begonias.org/cane-...

Dragon wing has, that I've seen, referred to the hybrid between B. coccinea and wax B.
Dragon Wing Begonia (Begonia Dragon Wing® Red)
Dragon Wing Begonia (Begonia Dragon Wing® Pink)

Cane Begonias & mallet Begonias are angel wings. Yes, you can use whatever nickname you want, but these are the traditional applications of those nicknames.

Thanks!
I appreciate the info. Was going with dragon wing initially but saw more references to devil wing and changed it.

Happy to share what I've seen! Today is my first time hearing of devil wing Begonia.

purpleinopp said: Happy to share what I've seen! Today is my first time hearing of devil wing Begonia.

It was a housewarming gift to an ex. I think either name is appropriate.

I think Dragonwing is a trademarked name.

An article:
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard...

It is trademarked, as 2 words, 10/31/95:
https://books.google.com/books...

purpleinopp said:
My goal is to inspire that big, fat new stem (in pic) to come up from the roots, by chopping off too-tall &/or puny stems, which, like Sally said, are used to make more Begonias.

Right, but since the past two too-tall/puny stems getting lopped didn't induce any big, fat new stems like yours did, would you stake it and wait (it can't support itself with something to lean on) or just go with cuttings and assume the root base will die?

Thanks

I would never assume the root base will die with a Begonia. You could trim part of the stem and leave part of it. Nipping about ¼" from the stumps at the base could also help inspire some new growth from the base.

purpleinopp said: I would never assume the root base will die with a Begonia. You could trim part of the stem and leave part of it. Nipping about ¼" from the stumps at the base could also help inspire some new growth from the base.

Sigh.

Will do, thanks!

Has this plant found its groove?

purpleinopp said: Has this plant found its groove?

Nope.
No new shoots whatsoever. 2 6" cuttings in water that are just now showing some roots though.