Full Specimen Plate
Begonia pavonina
Peacock Begonia
Aroid Atlas Price Guide
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Pricing Data Key
Community price estimate based on limited sales history
Market Analysis
Begonia pavonina 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 pavonina Morphology
About Begonia pavonina
Begonia pavonina, described by Ridley, is a rainforest understory species endemic to Peninsular Malaysia — growing on moist forest-floor litter or over rocky humus on gentle slopes and stream banks, in deep shade and very low light where air humidity remains high year-round. The upper surface of each asymmetrical, ovate, slightly bullate leaf shows an iridescent blue to peacock-blue structural colouration — not a pigment but an optical effect generated by thin-film interference from the specialised arrangement of chloroplasts in the adaxial epidermis, an adaptation that enhances photon capture in the extreme low light of the forest floor. Deep red undersides frame each leaf. This structural colouration gives pavonina its name, and it represents the Begonia collection on AroidAtlas.
Native Range
Malaysia
Propagation Guide
How to Propagate Begonia pavonina
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 pavonina 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
Structural Blue, Peninsular Malaysia
Begonia pavonina works through a specific optical mechanism: the leaf surfaces produce a genuine structural iridescence — an angle-dependent blue-violet shimmer caused by specialised plastid bodies in the upper epidermis that function as thin-film interference structures, manipulating wavelengths of light rather than producing pigment colour. A 2016 paper by researchers at Bristol confirmed the mechanism. Endemic to humid lowland to hill forest in Peninsular Malaysia. In cultivation the iridescence intensifies in lower light conditions, which is somewhat counterintuitive but reflects the forest floor ecology where the adaptation evolved.
Also in: Natural Silver & Spot Patterning
Wild species carrying naturally occurring leaf spotting or striping, distinct from the chimeric variegation seen in cultivated colour-break forms.
