Strawberry begonia
Also called Strawberry geranium, Mother of thousands, Creeping saxifrage.
| Light | medium light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 6 days in the growing season, every 14 in winter |
| Humidity | medium |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 20 cm (8 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Saxifraga stolonifera.
Neither a strawberry nor a begonia, but a saxifrage from the cool damp hills of China and Japan, with round leaves veined in silver above and flushed red beneath. What it does that nothing else in the house does is send out long thin red runners, each with a complete miniature plant on the end, which hang down and eventually root wherever they touch. Hang it above eye level and you get a curtain of them. It also wants a cooler room than most houseplants, and is hardy enough for a shaded wall outdoors in a mild climate. Water at the rim rather than into the middle of the rosette, keep it out of direct sun, and pot up a runner whenever you want another one.
Ailments observed
| A soft or mushy base to the stem | Water poured into the middle of the rosette, or a warm wet winter. Water at the rim and keep it cooler and drier through the winter. It is a plant that prefers a cold windowsill to a warm room. |
|---|---|
| Brown crisp edges on the leaves | Direct sun or dry heat. Move it into shade. It comes from cool damp places in eastern Asia and it shows when the room is too warm. |
Filed underPlants for a bathroom, Plants that forgive a beginner, Plants for a balcony or a small space
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