Your plant looks like Begonia 'Benitochiba'. I think your plant may be okay. Mine looses its leaves when it gets cold out. It's not a cold hardy begonia but I dont walking through the cold would have hurt it too much. I think it will recover it will just loose those leaves.

Thank you very much! Happy new year!

I have found the same resemblance between my plant and begonia benitochiba a few days ago. Its leaves are definitely dead now and I am hoping that you are right, that it will recover ...
Do you have any advice for me? Should I keep the soil moist until I see new leaves growing?

Thanks again !

Hi red hat, I was looking for information on propagating my begonia but checked in on this thread. IMO, I think you should let your pretty much dry out. Begonias seem to "rot" easily. If it's not too happy right now, I'd keep it on the dry side.

Benitochiba will lose all or most of its leaves in winter so don't get alarmed. Do not over water it else it could rot. I've kept mine two winters in a very cool, somewhat dark garage and watered lightly every 2 to 4 weeks and it did magnificent. Last winter I kept it in the basement and it didn't respond as well. I have it in the basement this year as well but I put a salad bowl lid over it and it is throwing up new leaves.

Here are some pictures of mine to give you an idea of what it goes through (I've had this one for several years now).

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Thanks for the info hcmcdole !

I will try not to water it so often and follow your advice. I have also noticed that you cut the stems back. Are you keeping yours outside in the summer? I know that begonias don't like drafty places and neither too hot or too cold, so my feeling was that they are demanding special care...in my apartment every room has 2 air openings on the floor by the window, so if a plant needs light it will also get draft...

Your pictures are very very beautiful !

Thanks again !

Hi Red Hat,

No, I didn't cut any stems - they just fall off when they are ready and there is nothing you can do about it. I tried Benitochiba two times before this one and ended up killing them by too much water. I wouldn't allow them to dry out completely though but do allow them some drying time before watering again. I think the cool temps of a garage helps keep them from drying out too much.

I do move almost all of my begonias outdoors in summer where they may get too cold in the early spring and/or sun burned if I don't put them in enough shade to begin with but by mid summer you would not know it since for the most part they have new leaves. Heat and humidity seem to really get them going. I also move them out to more sun as the days get shorter (start in early September). I usually bring them back in late October.

Moving them back indoors causes a lot of stress - not the same amount of light, no air movement to speak of, too dry, etc. but for the majority they do just fine. Rexes and canes are the worst for bringing back indoors but even those are worth keeping.

Here is a pic of most of my rexes two years ago.

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Hi hcmcdole !

Wow, your plants are really beautiful!
I will move my poor Benitochiba downstairs in the storage room. I live in an apartment so I don't have a garage. I will see if the plant comes back to life this Spring, if not I will probably buy another Benitochiba since now I have learned so much more about it than before.

Thanks!

Hi hcmcdole !

Wow, your plants are really beautiful!
I will move my poor Benitochiba downstairs in the storage room. I live in an apartment so I don't have a garage. I will see if the plant comes back to life this Spring, if not I will probably buy another Benitochiba since now I have learned so much more about it than before.

Thanks!