Orange up with Begonia cumingii

Most Begonia flowers are white. Or white and red at the back. Or pink. In fact, no matter how pretty the flowers may be, we don't really pay attention to these that much because the flower color is pretty uniform in many species. Not so with Begonia cumingii, a species with large, bright orange flowers.

Begonia cumingii is a Philippine endemic, and is found only in a few provinces on Luzon. I have seen this species in the provinces of Laguna and Quezon, which are adjacent to one another. These plants are often found in very wet areas close to running bodies of water, mostly at medium altitudes. The species was named after Hugh Cuming, who collected the first plants known to science in 1811, but without precise locality. However, since he collected extensively in the province of Laguna, it is possible that the type specimen was found from somewhere there, possibly either in the town of Calauan or Majayjay.

Pistillate flowers of B. cumingii.

This is quite a large, shrubby species, and the tallest I have found is around 1.5 m tall, growing in deep shade. However, in brighter light, the plants become more compact with a rounded form. In common with many begonias, B. cumingii is almost always in flower, and plants are easy to detect even from some distance away due to the flower color.

Begonia cumingii is from section Petermannia, with erect and branching stems. Not to be outdone by the flowers, the glossy leaves have serrated margins and prominently veined. The venation on the leaf undersides is dark red. Not at all boring!

This species is sparingly present in private collections, but is not easy to keep due to their ecological requirements. I even doubt if it is present in collections abroad. Although there is the likelihood that as soon as I say this, someone will show me a photo of a B. cumingii from outside the Philippines 😅

The tallest specimen I ever found of this species. It's even taller than I am- but only because it was growing on a rock.