Begonia dregei is a spectacular herbaceous, summer-flowering, shade-loving perennial that makes an excellent indoor display pot plant.

In southern Africa there is one genus, Begonia, with five indigenous species: Begonia dregei, B. homonyma, B. geranioides, B. sonderiana and B. sutherlandii subsp. sutherlandii.

Begonia dregei is rare; it occurs in forests, on rocky, mossy cliffs and steep banks, from the coast to 1219 m altitude inland, from East London to KwaZulu-Natal.

Begonia dregei is quick-growing and does not like much water in winter as it occurs in a summer-rainfall area.

Although it can be propagated from leaf cuttings, these tend to take a longer time to establish compared with stem cuttings. Cuttings are best taken in spring or early summer and treated with a rooting hormone. They root easily in river sand or silica sand in an intermittent mist-spray area or in a warm, moist, shaded area.

Hand-pollination is necessary for a successful seed harvest in cultivation. Generally begonias hybridise easily, so care should be taken where a number of species are growing in the same area.

The leaves are small (50-80 x 20-35 mm), asymmetrical, lobed with white spots when young and widely toothed. The 40-90 mm long leaf stalks are green or reddish.

The male and female flowers occur separately but on the same plant and are interfertile. The white to pink blooms have a yellowish centre and are pendulous (nodding). They appear from December to June. The male flowers have two petals and the female flowers five.