Up until very recently, not even the past 5 years, the concept of a variegated Begonia was nothing short of make believe. Rarely, the occasional, unstable clone would make headlines in the community, and this was essentially all the discourse around these unique gems, until the mass propagation of this incredible hybrid began. It spent years circulated as a 4-digit variety amongst lofty collectors and florists, but finally began to truly take hold of the houseplant community in early 2021. Now, Begonia ‘Ginny Galaxy’ serves as by far the most popular, and widely-regarded as the most beautiful variegated begonia in public cultivation. This hybrid is a small cane type, with arching, high-held stems that branch at the bases to create a delightful, colorful ‘shrub’. As long as a large plant is trimmed to keep weight distribution proper, and stakes are used to hold up larger canes; ‘Ginny Galaxy’ can be brought into a spectacular floral display if conditions are right. Propagation is quite easy, though, a note, with variegated begonias like this, the only way to get stable variegation in a propagated offspring is to take cuttings that incorporate a stem node, as variegation occurs in the very meristematic tissue of the stems; and can only be continued from these points.
