Full Specimen Plate
Begonia melanobullata
Black Bullate Begonia
Aroid Atlas Price Guide
Select Plant Size
Pricing Data Key
Community price estimate based on limited sales history
Market Analysis
Begonia melanobullata Price Guide & Auction Value
Historical eBay auction metrics and live retailer listings updated weekly.
No eBay auction history available yet. Data is collected automatically as sales appear on eBay UK.
Before You Buy
Species-specific things to check when evaluating a listing
- Check for powdery mildew — a white dusty coating on leaf surfaces, especially in dry conditions; it spreads rapidly between plants
- Inspect for mealybugs at leaf axils and the underside of stems where they hide in white cottony deposits
- Rhizome begonias should show firm, healthy rhizome tissue — avoid plants with soft, discoloured rhizomes
- Most begonias ship well as leaf cuttings — if buying a cutting, ensure it has a healthy petiole and no signs of rot at the cut end
Begonia melanobullata Morphology
About Begonia melanobullata
Begonia melanobullata, described by Ardi and Thomas, is a rare rhizomatous species from the humid lowland to hill forest of East Kalimantan in Borneo — growing in warm, shaded rainforest understory on moist leaf litter and humus-rich substrate with high humidity and constantly damp but well-drained conditions. Its foliage is among the most heavily textured in the genus: dark, deeply glossy leaves with a strongly bullate surface studded with distinctive black conical bullae projecting from the blade surface, giving an armoured appearance. Red, hairy petioles carry each leaf from the creeping rhizome, which roots along the substrate surface to form compact forest-floor colonies. Among the black-foliage Bornean begonias, melanobullata is among the rarest and most sought-after.
Native Range
Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Begonia melanobullata
3-5 months
Cultivar character is preserved through vegetative cuttings
Most rhizomatous begonias root readily from leaf sections or petiole cuttings placed on moist substrate. Keep warm and humid until plantlets emerge at leaf margins.
Care Guide
Begonia melanobullata Care Guide & Growing Conditions
Light, well-draining mix: 50% perlite, 30% potting compost, 20% orchid bark. Begonias are susceptible to root rot — excellent drainage is essential.
Allow the top half of the substrate to dry between waterings. Water at the base — wet leaves invite fungal problems. Reduce in winter.
50–70%. More tolerant of average indoor humidity than tropical aroids, but consistent moisture prevents crispy leaf margins.
Balanced liquid fertiliser at quarter strength every 2–3 weeks during the growing season. Do not feed in winter.
Every 12–18 months in spring. Begonias like shallow, wide pots that suit rhizomatous growth. Don't bury the rhizome.
Common Problems
Powdery mildew
Poor air circulation combined with high humidity
Improve airflow; avoid wetting leaves; treat with a dilute bicarbonate of soda spray
Botrytis (grey mould)
Overwatering, dead leaves left on plant, poor air circulation
Remove dead foliage promptly; increase airflow; reduce watering
Leggy stems
Insufficient light
Move to a brighter position — begonias need good indirect light to maintain compact growth
East Kalimantan Bullation
From East Kalimantan — the Indonesian portion of Borneo — Begonia melanobullata is a heavily bullate species with dark, strongly puckered leaves that place it among the most heavily textured species in Bornean begonia collecting. The bullation is more extreme than in most cultivated begonias; the surface reads as genuinely three-dimensional, almost sculptural, in a way that flat photographs cannot capture adequately. Genuinely uncommon in cultivation and should be commensurately sought out by collectors who understand what they're looking at. The accessible price tier relative to the difficulty of obtaining it suggests the market has not yet caught up.
Also in: Iron-Cross & Bullate
Species with a raised, quilted leaf surface, including B. masoniana's namesake dark iron-cross marking.
