Rieger Begonia Care: Tips for Healthy, Happy Plants

Cross summer-blooming begonias with some of their cold-tolerant counterparts and you get the Rieger begonia—a great option for a pop of tropical color during the winter season. Pronounced “REE-ger,” the Rieger begonia is a winter flowering plant with blossoms like tea roses. Although these hybrids don’t have any scent, they more than make up for it with their riotously colorful, creamy blooms. Riegers range from reds, pinks, and bright yellows to shades of orange and stark white. What’s more, under the right conditions, they can bloom indoors for several weeks and they’re fairly easy to propagate, too.

Popularized by Otto Rieger of Nurtingen, Germany, the Rieger begonia initially dazzled judges at the International Flower Show in Vienna in1964. Rieger won the gold medal for his Rieger Elatior begonias—a cross between the standard wax begonia and the tuberous begonia.

With their vividly colorful flowers and large, glossy leaves, Rieger begonias (Begonia x hiemalis) quickly made their way to gardens and greenhouses across the U.S. and Canada. These days you can find them listed for sale under the name “Rieger,” “Elatior,” or as the Hiemalis begonia or winter begonia. (The Latin “hiemalis” translates to “winter.”)

Photoperiod bloomers like the Rieger begonia need a minimum number of hours of light in order to bloom. Ideally, your plants should get 14 hours of bright, indirect light daily. If you’re growing a Rieger begonia in a greenhouse or as an indoor houseplant, it can handle some direct sunlight as long as the ambient temperature stays relatively cool.

Overwatering the Rieger begonia is one common mistake new begonia grower make. To determine